The Gauteng Department of Education has finally pledged to deliver mobile classrooms to ease pressure at Bovet Primary School, following parents’ heated protests outside the school gates last month.

Read more: Bovet Primary’s school governing body confident MEC will deliver on classroom promise

Education MEC Lebogang Maile visited Bovet Primary on April 28 to assess the severity of the overcrowding crisis and infrastructure challenges at the school.

Bovet is the only local school catering to learners who speak Xitsonga and Tshivenda, and has become the default choice for many families. This role has pushed enrolment far beyond its intended capacity. Parents report classes with more than 80 learners, with children sharing desks or sitting on the floor. Sanitation facilities are also in disrepair, with broken doors and water pooling on floors.

Last month, frustrated parents staged protests that temporarily shut down the school. In response, the Gauteng Department of Education delivered 150 tables and 350 chairs. While the School Governing Body chairperson, Collen Kutama, welcomed the delivery, he stressed that it was not enough. “The furniture helps, but it doesn’t solve the problem completely. We trust our leaders, and we believe the mobile classrooms will arrive soon,” he said.

Parents Olivia Ndlovu and Thina Mudau raised further concerns about torn textbooks, delayed performance reports, and the strain on teachers managing oversized classes. They also called for mobile toilets to improve sanitation.

Also read: Bovet Primary School learners endure the stench of wastewater on neglected 18th Avenue

During his oversight visit, Maile pledged mobile classrooms to ease overcrowding. Some parents expressed scepticism, warning that protests could resume if promises are not fulfilled. Kutama, however, appealed for patience, urging parents not to disrupt classes.

At a media briefing at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, Maile highlighted broader systemic pressures facing Gauteng schools. He pointed to densely populated townships as high-pressure areas, where rapid enrolment growth driven by urban migration has outpaced infrastructure development. He acknowledged a significant provincial infrastructure deficit, with learner numbers having surged over the past three decades. While new schools are being built, many projects face delays.

Maile also revealed that the 2026 school readiness audit identified widespread furniture shortfalls linked to enrolment growth and damage. “The Gauteng Department of Education delivered available stock from warehouses, but shortages remained, and additional procurement was required. Procurement is currently underway, but funding remains insufficient to eliminate the backlog,” he said.

Maile added that the provincial government was focusing on a mix of measures designed to overcome delays in delivering education infrastructure and to reduce overcrowding caused by oversubscription. These include the construction of new schools and the use of mobile classrooms as an interim measure.

He further urged parents and communities to support the government in safeguarding schools.

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