For nine months from May 2025, Kgorathuto Secondary School in Botshabelo, Free State was left without water, rendering toilets unusable.
Students reached school to register and then were sent home.
“We cannot be satisfied that our children do not get an education. Teachers are paid to work, yet they do not do their job because children are dropped off after morning prayers every day. This has been happening for a long time, and it needs to stop”, says Mpho Tshesi, a parent.
After several demonstrations by parents, the municipality finally took temporary measures by providing a Jojo tank last week.
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This week, students are back in school, but conditions are far from ideal.
Alp Moshodi, a parent and community member, says that it is difficult to expect school education to run normally if there are no basic services. “The school management team should take full responsibility for the situation. This is wrong,” says Moshodi.
Activist Isley Makhanya says the school should be closed.
“The standard operating procedure does not allow a school to operate if basic services are not in place. The labor department should close the school and the municipality will make arrangements.”
The municipality responds
Vusi Sogaka, the mayoral committee member responsible for infrastructure, says water issues in the area should be examined.
“We couldn't come to school or our parents without real answers. We participated in the water challenges faced by Kgorathuto High School and the surrounding community in Botshabelo.”
These include fixing leaking toilets through our Masupatsela war over Leaks project and donating a 10,000-litre Jojo tank. Our water truck will be deployed at the school during this period while our technical team is on a fact-finding mission to get to the bottom of why part of the D section is experiencing low water pressure,” he says.
The entire community is affected
David Malope, a teacher at the school, accused the municipality of ignoring the fact that the entire area of Section D in Botshabelo suffers from water scarcity.
He says, “The ward councilor lives in this area. Why didn't she get tankers for the schools and clinics in the area? We are led by people who don't care.” “There is a water problem in our school since last year. Our parents have complained, and some have gone to the municipality.”
At Mapolokeng Primary School, School Governing Body (SGB) members use their money to hire a pick-up van to fetch water for their toilets and cooking.
“Each week we use about Rs 2000 to fill our 5000 liter tank so we can cook and use our toilets. We have requested the children to use water sparingly,” says Joyce Seikoi.
Spokesperson for the Department of Free State Education, Howard Ndaba, says the department informed the municipality of the issue in May 2025, and he is concerned about the time lost.
“We are glad that Mangaung Metro has met with both parents and teachers of Kgorathuto High School. We believe there will be a solution that will last for the long term. The MEC for Education wants all schools to have functioning toilets and an actively working school nutrition programme,” says Ndaba.
Kgorathuto Secondary had to suspend food preparation for its school nutrition program.
“Lack of water makes our lives hell. Some children do not have food, and they hope to get their only meal at school, but they are unable to do so because we have no water,” says Moeketsi Maabi, an 18-year-old learner. – Health-e News