Parliament, Thursday, 20 August 2026 – The NCOP delegation has confirmed that it will urgently meet with the North West MEC for Education, the Department of Education, the acting principal and the Swartruggens School Governing Body (SGB) in an effort to find an urgent and lasting solution to the difficult circumstances facing learners at Swartruggens Combined School and Reebone Secondary School.
The delegation said the situation confronting learners, parents and teachers cannot be allowed to continue. At the heart of the matter are children who deserve nothing less than a safe, functional and dignified place in which to learn. Members expressed deep concern about the state of the schools, including inadequate infrastructure, water and sanitation challenges, outdated electricity and sewerage systems, and the difficulties arising from the placement of learners.
The condition of Reebone Secondary School was a particular concern. The department acknowledged that the school had deteriorated from a condition described as fair to one now regarded as very poor. One member of the delegation questioned how children could be expected to attend a facility in its current state, describing what they had seen as shocking and saying that it was difficult to regard the facility as a school.
The delegation was equally concerned about the conditions at Swartruggens, where the department acknowledged that the electricity, water and sewerage infrastructure is poor and outdated. Members warned that the lack of adequate water and ablution facilities is not simply an infrastructure concern, but a potential health risk for learners and educators.
“These are children. They cannot be expected to bear the consequences of poor planning, deteriorating infrastructure and decisions that were not adequately thought through,” was the sentiment expressed the North West Provincial Whip, Ms Sylvia Sithole and other members during the engagement.
The delegation also raised concerns about the placement of learners from Reebone at Swartruggens. Members said there appeared to have been insufficient pre-emptive planning, resulting in a situation that has placed additional pressure on learners, parents and teachers. They stressed the importance of ensuring that primary school children are appropriately separated from high school learners, while cautioning that this must not be allowed to become a basis for racial separation.
Members said a more carefully planned transition could have avoided much of the uncertainty and disruption currently confronting the school community. At the same time, the delegation acknowledged the financial realities facing the department and expressed support for exploring a sustainable solution, including the proposed merger, rather than simply pursuing an expensive new school.
However, the delegation stressed that a solution cannot merely be promised – it must be implemented. The department was urged to provide clear plans and firm commitments to address the water, ablution, electricity, sewerage and classroom challenges and to ensure that infrastructure amendments are implemented without further delay.
The department confirmed that officials visit both schools twice a week and indicated that additional mobile classrooms will be provided at Swartruggens.
The delegation said it could understand why the school had approached the courts, given the seriousness of the challenges. It also condemned what it regarded as an unacceptable attitude towards the crisis and emphasised that the department has a responsibility to help restore respect, dignity and confidence in the affected schools.
The planned engagement with the MEC, department, school leadership and SGB is therefore intended to move beyond the current impasse and towards practical action. For the NCOP delegation, the issue is ultimately about more than buildings, classrooms or infrastructure. It is about children being given the opportunity to learn in an environment that tells them that their education, their safety and their future matter.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE NORTH WEST PROVINCIAL WHIP, MS SYLVIA SITHOLE.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairpersons, please contact the Media Officer:
Malatswa Molepo
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 081 512 7920
E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
Arrange a tour