Mayibuye High School learners protest unsafe conditions after relocation

Learners, members of the school governing body (SGB) and community members from Mayibuye High School took to the streets in protest after the education department relocated students from a neighbouring school to the previously abandoned Mayibuye Primary School without what they described as proper assessment, maintenance or safety precautions.

Historically known as the Mayibuye Primary School, the institution operated using both mobile classrooms and toilets.
In 2024, the school was relocated to improved facilities, after which the original site was left abandoned and has been unmaintained since.

In 2025, learners from a neighbouring school were moved to the neglected premises. It was then renamed Mayibuye High School.
Community members said the school was unprepared to receive learners or operate as a functional high school.

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They raised concerns about the condition of the infrastructure, describing it as a health hazard for learners and educators.

The mobile toilets on the premises are in a poor state, with broken doors and flushing systems, leaving learners with no alternative and raising fears about exposure to disease.

SGB member and parent Elizabeth Sithole said repeated attempts to engage the department have yielded no results.

“We have been trying to contact the department. To this day, no help has come our way. Schools in Midrand are maintained, and health is prioritised, but ours are not. Even officials at the department would not allow their children to attend school in this situation,” she said.

Sithole added that she has two daughters enrolled at the school and worries daily about their safety.

“A female learner is forced to go behind the toilets to relieve herself, where the grass is as tall as the learners themselves. This poses a serious danger. We have had meetings with many people from the department, but none of the promises made have been fulfilled.”

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Former school president Charmain Mokebe said that while the school might appear acceptable from the outside, conditions inside are dire.

“We are facing many challenges, including damaged infrastructure, a lack of water and vandalised facilities, from toilets to classrooms.

“There is also a shortage of teachers, with one sometimes teaching grades Eight to 11. This leads to exhaustion and leaves learners behind academically,” said Mokebe.

He added that the school is pleading with the department to intervene and improve conditions, describing the situation as “very hard to endure”.

Busang Lekeka from the Congress of South African Students said the state of infrastructure at the school raises questions about education funding.

“Every year, the minister of education announces a budget for schools in Gauteng, but we never see it benefiting our learners. The nutrition programme is also not catering for learners, and Mayibuye High School is evidence of that,” he said.

Lekeka said learners deserve safe and functional learning environments, particularly when funding is allocated to address such issues.

During a visit to the school, The Thembisan was given a tour by Thapelo Nkwane, who highlighted the extent of the problems.

These included collapsing ceilings, overgrown grass, and severely neglected toilets.

Community members also reported killing two snakes found on the school grounds, further heightening fears for learner safety.

The department has yet to issue a comment. Officials were, however, at the school to address learners and community members.