Parents, learners and community members from Kuyasa Primary School in Khayelitsha marched to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) offices in the Cape Town CBD on Thursday, demanding urgent repairs after persistent sewage and drain blockages left the school unable to continue teaching.
Classes suspended amid ongoing sanitation failures
All teaching and learning at Kuyasa Primary have been suspended since last Friday after sewage began overflowing from drains on the school grounds, the community said. Parents and the School Governing Body (SGB) reached the decision to suspend classes following a meeting the previous Thursday, citing an unbearable stench and health concerns.
Parents say the problem was first reported to the WCED in 2024 and has recurred despite repeated complaints. The school has resorted to using funds raised through parent-led fundraising to carry out interim repairs, but those efforts have become unsustainable.
“Every two weeks, the school tries to fix the toilets, but there is no improvement. The school doesn’t have the money to keep fixing these toilets every two weeks because the government is not assisting,”
The comment was attributed to parent Sinazo Yekiso.
Health impacts and community frustration
Parents say both learners and teachers have become ill as a result of the sewage, with reports of skin rashes and diarrhoea. Grade 6 and 7 learners, accompanied by parents and a Kuyasa ward councillor, gathered outside the WCED offices while waiting to be addressed by officials.
School Governing Body deputy chairperson and parent Thandiswa Bulani said involving learners in the protest was necessary to highlight the severity of the situation and the community's frustration.
The City of Cape Town has reportedly told parents it cannot intervene because the blockage is located within privately owned property, parents said. That claim is a key point of contention: parents say the blockage affects school facilities and compromises learners’ safety and dignity.
What parents want and the practical consequences
Parents told WCED officials they want an immediate, lasting solution to the sewage blockages and proper maintenance of the school’s sanitation infrastructure. They warned that if the department refused to engage, they would escalate the matter at the department's offices.
The disruption has immediate practical consequences for schooling at Kuyasa Primary:
- Suspension of classes: All teaching and learning halted since last Friday.
- Health complaints: Reports of skin rashes and diarrhoea among learners and staff.
- Financial strain: School fundraising used for repeated temporary repairs.
Timeline and unresolved aspects
According to parents, the problem began two years ago and has been reported repeatedly to the WCED since 2024. Despite intermittent repairs funded by parents, the sewage issues persist, prompting the SGB and parents to take collective action this week.
The source material does not include a response from the Western Cape Education Department or the City of Cape Town confirming the status of any official investigation or remedial plan. It also does not provide technical details on who owns the section of pipe the city says is on private property, or whether the private owner has been contacted formally.
| Issue | Reported | Immediate effect |
|---|---|---|
| Sewage overflow from drains | Reported to WCED since 2024; parents say began two years ago | Classes suspended; health complaints |
| Interim repairs | Funded by parent fundraising | Short-term fixes every two weeks; unsustainable |
| Municipal intervention | City says blockage on private property (according to parents) | Parents expect WCED to take responsibility for school safety |
What to watch for next
Parents have demanded that WCED officials meet them and outline a plan for urgent remedial works and long-term maintenance. The next steps to monitor include whether the department will provide emergency repairs, whether the City of Cape Town will clarify ownership and responsibility for the blocked drains, and whether the school will remain closed while work is carried out.
For families affected, practical questions remain: how long children will be out of class, whether arrangements will be made for continued learning, and what remediation will be funded by government rather than parental fundraising.
The protests in Khayelitsha underline persistent challenges across some Western Cape schools where sanitation and infrastructure shortfalls affect learners’ health and learning. Parents say they will continue to press both provincial officials and the municipality until the sanitation hazard is permanently fixed.
Contact points: Parents were reported to have gathered outside the WCED offices in the Cape Town CBD seeking a meeting with department officials to resolve the crisis.
