The DA in Gauteng is set to hand over a petition to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in the first week of June, demanding that the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) prioritise the construction of a primary school in Block KK, Soshanguve.

According to the DA, residents of the area have waited nearly 30 years for a school to be built in their community, while children continue to travel long, dangerous routes to access education.

DA Gauteng constituency head for Soshanguve, Ofentse Madzebatela, said learners currently have to walk to a primary school in Block P and cross a river to get there.

“The situation facing learners in Block KK is unacceptable. Young children are expected to cross dangerous areas daily simply because there is still no school in their community,” he said.

Madzebatela said a bridge was supposed to have been constructed to make the journey safer for learners, but this had not yet materialised.

“Parents have lived with promises for years while their children continue to face dangerous conditions on their way to school. Government cannot continue ignoring this community,” he said.

The DA claims that the GDE has already identified a site for the proposed school, but construction has not yet started.

Madzebatela said the issue highlighted broader failures in the provincial government’s management of education infrastructure.

“This is one of the many failures of Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s administration. Communities are still waiting for schools despite repeated commitments made during State of the Province Addresses,” he said.

According to the DA, only 12 brick-and-mortar schools have been built in Gauteng over the past five years despite promises to improve school infrastructure across the province.

Madzebatela said overcrowding and lack of nearby schools continued to place pressure on families and learners in townships such as Soshanguve.

“Access to education should never come at the cost of children’s safety. Learners deserve schools within their communities where they can learn in a safe and conducive environment,” he said.

The party said the petition handover forms part of its broader campaign to improve school infrastructure and hold the GDE accountable for delays in delivering schools to communities.

Madzebatela said a DA-led Gauteng provincial government would focus on accelerating school construction and improving existing facilities.

The DA pointed to the Western Cape as an example of how faster school infrastructure programmes could help address shortages in rapidly growing communities.

Residents of Block KK have reportedly raised concerns for years about the risks children face while travelling to school, especially during periods of heavy rain when river crossings become more dangerous.

Madzebatela said the DA would continue putting pressure on the provincial government until construction of the school begins.

The GDE was approached for comment, but none was received at the time of publication.

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok or WhatsApp Channel