Community demands action over Eersterust school’s asbestos crisis
With each passing day of inaction, the Eersterust community feels the Gauteng Department of Education not only violates the law concerning asbestos at and in schools but also further undermines the rights of its students, staff, and the community.
The Eersterust Community Development Forum (ECDF) has issued a strong call to the Gauteng Department of Education to urgently address the escalating health, safety, and learning crisis at Eersterust Secondary School.
In its most recent correspondence, supported by earlier letters dating back to September 10, the ECDF and its partners expressed deep concern over continued departmental delays and the absence of concrete action. This follows the fire that struck an asbestos-built classroom on September 8.
The fire disturbed asbestos-containing materials, creating a hazardous environment that remains unsecured and unremediated almost three months later.
The forum explained to Rekord that despite repeated communications, the department has not responded with a formal plan to remove the asbestos rubble, conduct the required risk assessments, restore school security, or provide temporary accommodation for learners.
It has sent letters to the department on September 10, October 4, 8, 11, and November 25.
As a result, the situation has deteriorated further, placing learners, educators, and the broader community at continued risk.
According to ECDF co-ordinator Arnold Adams, the department’s inaction “constitutes a direct breach of multiple legal and constitutional obligations”.
He highlighted that the Occupational Health and Safety Act (1993) requires the department to ensure a working and learning environment that is safe and without risk to health.
“The fact that asbestos-contaminated rubble remains uncovered and untreated is an ongoing violation of the law and a direct threat to the health of the entire school community,” said Adams.
Further, the Asbestos Abatement Regulations (2020) strictly prohibit access to any area where asbestos contamination may be present unless an accredited contractor has conducted a professional assessment, removal, and clearance certification.
Adams stressed that none of these steps have been taken: no accredited asbestos contractor has been appointed, no barricades or safety controls have been installed, no air-quality or surface-testing has been conducted, and no clearance certificate has been issued.
The ECDF warned that this non-compliance not only violates statutory obligations but also infringes on constitutional rights, particularly the right to basic education.
Adams confirmed that with the Grade 8 block destroyed and no temporary classrooms provided, the school currently has no capacity to accommodate next year’s Grade 8 intake.
“These concerns were previously detailed in our letters of November 25 and September 10, which outline the department’s duty to provide safe alternative learning venues,” said Adams.
More than 80 days after the fire, the site remains unchanged and unprotected, with no security reinforcements, no temporary learning facilities, and no formal action plan communicated to the school or community.
Adams noted that the lack of interdepartmental co-ordination has only deepened the crisis.
In light of these ongoing failures, the forum confirmed that it will proceed with a scheduled engagement with the department, intended specifically to secure commitments, timelines, and compliance with all regulatory and constitutional requirements.
This engagement, the forum emphasised, is essential to ensure accountability and to protect the health and educational rights of the community.
“These issues can no longer be deferred,” Adams stated. “The department’s failure to act continues to endanger learners and staff, and undermines the constitutional promise of a safe, functional, and supportive learning environment.
“We carry the responsibility to protect our community where statutory and constitutional obligations are not being met.”
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