The Mpumalanga Department of Education (DoE) and SAPS shut down the school after they had received information that it is operating illegally. On arrival the Everest College founder was unavailable. The learners were in class undergoing their daily activities.

The school has programmes from grades RR to seven. The school principal, Lindela Dlamini, was served with a letter by the DoE’s Sibusiso Zwane accompanied by the Hazel Brukwe.

Zwane said in terms of the South African School Act, when one operates an independent school it must be registered. “Failure to close the school constitutes a criminal act.”

He said the learners’ parents need to register their children at nearby public schools.

“We will issue an announcement. The schools will be ready in a week and parents need to apply. We will send the message to the schools to make it easy for the parents. This is done so that we can protect the kids’ rights to education,” he explained. The school opened its doors in 2018.

Zwane added that the DoE had not been aware that the school is operating illegally.

“We do not close schools during recess, we do it after investigations are done and a report is submitted.”

The Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brig Leonard Hlathi, said Everest College is not the only school that is under investigation.

“There are other people who have been arrested so far. We are sending a warning to those who are operating an illegal institution like this one: you are not only operating an illegal school, but you are also robbing the learners of their quality education.”

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Hlathi did not reveal how many people have been arrested thus far.

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“We are not the only ones making arrests, even the Hawks have been doing it. So I don’t know how many people so far,” he explained. Hlathi said the DoE will open a case and the SAPS will do their part in investigating.