The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on Wednesday raised concerns about a breakdown in internal communication and accountability in the Mpumalanga Department of Education, which allowed long-standing challenges at a special needs school to go unaddressed.
The committee is on an oversight visit to schools in Mpumalanga. During its visit to Silindikuhle Special School in Mangweni, Nkomazi, Members heard that delays and administrative failure to respond to and escalate concerns raised by the principal and School Governing Body (SGB) since 2023 have affected learners with special needs.
Members heard that the school principal and SGB had repeatedly written to circuit management to highlight persistent challenges, including unreliable water and electricity supplies, the need for personal assistants for visually impaired teachers and a general shortage of staff. When Members raised this with the Head of Department (HOD), Ms Lucy Hluhani Moyane, she indicated that the correspondence had never reached her office. The HOD committed to tracing the correspondence and ensuring that the issues raised are addressed.
The principal, Mr Eric Ndashe, told Members that the school had also raised concerns about infrastructure problems, including damaged paving, inadequate security due to a lack of fencing and security personnel and the need to install solar power as a backup during electricity outages. The committee was also shocked to hear that the school had received incorrect Braille textbooks intended for visually impaired learners and teachers. The SGB Deputy Chairperson, Mr Shadrack Mbombi, said he hoped that the committee’s visit would prompt action. “We want our children to learn in a conducive environment, and we hope the committee’s visit will ensure the implementation of the recommendations we have submitted,” he said.
The committee emphasised the need for accountability and called on the department to hold officials accountable for failing to escalate the matter.
The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Joy Maimela, said learners and teachers should not suffer due to administrative failures. She directed the department to locate the correspondence without delay. The Chairperson also instructed the department to provide a plan to address the identified challenges before the end of the day. “Our concern is that every learner must have access to a teacher and appropriate learning and teaching materials,” the Chairperson said.
The Silindikuhle Special School accommodates 224 learners with special needs and has a waiting list of 72 learners, underscoring the pressure on its capacity. Despite its capacity constraints, the school remains in high demand.
The HOD told Members that the department is aware of overcrowding at the school and outlined a two-pronged approach to address it. She said the department is currently at stage three of the planning and design phase for a new hostel at the school. Completion and occupation are scheduled for 2029. Members were also informed that the province is in the process of establishing a new school dedicated to learners with special needs. This project is also expected to be completed in 2029, and the tender is scheduled to be advertised this year.
Members noted the department’s plans but urged the province to expedite implementation. The committee undertook to closely monitor progress against the stated timelines for the hostel and the construction of the new school. The issues raised during the oversight visit will be discussed during the committee’s meeting with the provincial education department later this evening. The committee is continuing its oversight programme and is scheduled to visit four additional schools.
Temba Gubula
29 April 2026
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