Kuysa Primary School in Haielitshi was forced to close due to protests from residents of the Kuysa area, who expressed dissatisfaction with the constant overflow of wastewater onto the school grounds. These events drew the attention of the Haielitshi Development Forum.
The dangerous spill of sewage into Kuysa Primary School in Haielitshi led to a complete halt of the educational process, triggering protests and escalating tensions between local residents, community leaders, and provincial education authorities.
The Western Cape Education Department held a meeting with community representatives, parents, and local leaders on Thursday. This meeting followed a demonstration on Wednesday when upset parents, students, and ward councilor Lonwabo Mkina marched directly to the headquarters of the Western Cape Education Department, demanding immediate action.
Classes serving over 1500 students in the densely populated settlement of Haielitshi have been suspended since August 21, 2026. The cause was the accumulation of raw sewage near the primary level classrooms, which created a strong unpleasant odor and serious health risks. Parents decided to keep their children home, citing growing safety risks. Reports indicated that some students returned home covered in dirty water after falling into the spilled liquid during playtime.
Councilor Mkina stated: 'The school will remain closed until comprehensive cleaning and permanent resolution of the issue are ensured.'
Protests and Missed Meetings
Addressing the protesters, the Deputy CEO of the Western Cape Education Department, Alan Meyer, explained that he had instructed department staff to leave the meeting for safety reasons. This occurred following reports that staff could be taken hostage on school premises until a decision was reached.
According to Bronagh Hammond, a representative of the Western Cape Education Department, efforts to sanitize and clean the school grounds faced another obstacle when local stakeholders prevented contracted workers from completing the job.
Dilapidated Infrastructure
Disappointed residents pointed to ongoing systemic neglect, emphasizing that a similar sewage failure occurred at this school in 2024. According to parents, the School Governing Body (SGB) constantly used its meager reserves to raise funds to repair broken plumbing but faced recurring drainage overflows.
The situation is complicated by a jurisdictional dispute: the City of Cape Town claims that the Western Cape Education Department should handle the matter because the school is located on private property. In response, the Western Cape Education Department stated that past external leaks were handled by the municipality, while current delays it attributes to community interference with repair crews. Meanwhile, the Kuysa community demands immediate and permanent capital repairs from the government, not temporary fixes. Community representatives and Western Cape Education Department officials are expected to present specific recovery plans at the meeting, with parents insisting that children will not return to class until the school premises are sanitized and safe.