LOOK | Photos reveal severe decay as Eastern Cape schools crumble amid R529.8m grant freeze

With more than half a billion rand in grant funding being withheld from the Eastern Cape education department, some Nelson Mandela Bay public schools are buckling under collapsing ceilings, stripped basins, only a handful of usable classrooms, little to no running water, and, in many cases, no electricity.

And while staff at several of these schools are desperate to repair the damage, they say their hands are tied because the R529.8m infrastructure grant has reportedly been withheld for 30 days by the national education department.

This comes as the province allegedly diverted previous funds to projects that were not approved.

Education minister Siviwe Gwarube's spokesperson, Lukhanyo Vangqa, said the department has a responsibility to ensure that public funds are used for the purposes for which they were allocated.

"In this case, the department is simply enforcing compliance in accordance with the Division of Revenue Act, 2025," Vangqa told IOL.

"This has become necessary as a result of the Eastern Cape education department's usage of the education infrastructure grant for purposes outside the stipulations of the Division of Revenue Act, 2025, and grant framework conditions."

The Division of Revenue Act 2 of 2025 sets out how money collected by the national government must be fairly shared between national, provincial, and local governments.

It explains how much each sphere of government receives, how the funds should be managed, and what conditions apply to the grants that are allocated.

The Eastern Cape Provincial Treasury wrote to the provincial education department confirming that the fourth payment of the education infrastructure grant was being withheld.

According to the letter, the national education department notified the province that it will withhold the R529.8m because the grant money was “used for purposes outside the stipulations of the Division of Revenue Act 2025 and the related grant framework".

The letter is in IOL's possession.

Treasury explains that the funds will be withheld “for a period not exceeding 30 days” or until the department returns the money that was spent "incorrectly" and reallocates it back to the infrastructure programme.

But there might be light at the end of the tunnel soon.

Eastern Cape education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima, late on Tuesday afternoon, said it all appeared to be a big misunderstanding.

"There was miscommunication between the national education department and [its provincial counterpart] on the usage of the infrastructure grant, and that has since been resolved, and R287m of the funds will be released this coming Friday and the rest later."

When IOL visited a number of schools on Tuesday morning, the neglect was difficult to miss, with the findings documented in a series of photographs.

At Lamani Public Primary School in New Brighton, the boys’ bathroom ceiling is riddled with holes, and a large section has collapsed, exposing wooden beams and internal piping.

A row of metal basins stood dirty, and there was no running water.

The rest of the building showed deep decay, with rusted and broken window frames — one held together with a piece of cloth where a pane had gone missing.

An apparent act of vandalism or theft had also stripped the school’s internet cable, leaving the entire Maselana Street premises without connectivity.

Just a week and a half ago, staff were robbed on the premises.

Police spokesperson Captain André Beetge said the incident took place at about 11am on November 6.

“It is alleged that about seven armed suspects entered the school premises and held the security guard and school staff at gunpoint,” he said.

“They took six cellphones, a laptop and an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing.

"No shots were fired and no one was injured and a case of business robbery is under investigation.”

There are 280 children at Lamani, but only eight classrooms are usable.

The perimeter fence is so damaged that anyone can enter at will.

During IOL’s visit, three outsiders wandered around the grounds before staff chased them away.

At Daniels Public Primary School in Zwide, the situation was just as dire.

The play area was overgrown with tall grass and reeds, while another section of the grounds had turned into a makeshift dump filled with construction rubble, planks, and general waste.

A wide, uneven dirt field served as the school’s sports area.

Both the boys’ and girls’ bathrooms were fouled with urine and faeces, and the smell was overwhelming.

The school also had no electricity during IOL’s visit.

A staff member, who is not permitted to speak to the media, said the school receives only a small maintenance budget twice a year.

They had recently received R19,622.

“It’s not nearly enough,” the staffer said.

“People think that money goes far, but once you fix a single broken toilet or replace one door, most of it is gone," the staffer said.

"We have tiles lifting, leaking pipes, broken windows, and no funds to deal with all of it.

"Sometimes we end up patching things ourselves, using whatever tools and money we can find.

"Our kids cannot learn in these conditions, but we don’t have the means to make it right.

"We keep reporting problems, but nothing changes, and the school just falls apart a little more each term.”

It is understood the school's grade R pupils would be graduating on Wednesday.

But due to there not being a school hall, staff had to scramble on Tuesday.

During IOL's visit, teachers were busy making a school hall out of an old classroom. 

At Greenville Primary in Arcadia, only 10 of the school’s almost 40 classrooms were usable.

The school, situated in the Bay’s northern areas, had about 280 children enrolled.

Many classrooms were severely damaged, with floors covered in peeling paint and debris.

Windows were cracked or missing entirely, with no panes in sight.

A corridor wall was heavily scored and vandalised with chalk markings and patches of peeling plaster.

In one bathroom, painted bright green, part of the ceiling had collapsed, exposing corrugated roofing and wooden supports.

A line of washbasins sat damaged and soiled, with pipes sticking out underneath.

Not a single tap worked — they had all been stripped.

The school grounds were also poorly maintained, with parts of the outdoor area completely overgrown with tall grass and reeds.

A teacher, speaking on condition of anonymity, said staff felt helpless.

“We try our best every day, but the school is falling to pieces around us,” she said.

“Children are learning in rooms that should honestly be closed.

"We sweep, we clean, we move classes around, but the damage is too big for us to manage.

"When parents ask why things aren’t fixed, we don’t know what to tell them anymore.”

Another staff member added: “It wears you down.

"You want to teach, but instead you’re checking which ceiling might fall or which toilet has been vandalised."

Visiting Humansdorp Senior Secondary School on Monday, Gwarube said: "School safety cannot rest on the shoulders of teachers alone.

“We are concerned about the criminality that has infiltrated our schools, and it is heartbreaking that bullying has escalated to the point where a young life has been lost.”

She was referring to the death of matric pupil, Liyolo Wakeni.

The 18-year-old was knifed to death at the school in September.

IOL previously spoke to Liyolo's father, Chris Plaatjie.

“The last time I spoke to him was [the previous] morning when he left home for school.

"He stayed in the hostel to study for exams.”

Plaatjie described Liyolo as a friendly, smart and respectful child.

“Liyolo changed everyone around him for the better.

"Even when teasing someone, he could make them smile.

"Every time I go to his room, I look at his picture. He is always smiling. That’s how I will remember him.

"He was a good older brother to his nine-year-old sister ... he loved her very much and they were very close."

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