Statement by Horatio Hendricks MPL – DA Shadow MEC for Education:
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply concerned that another Eastern Cape school is facing closure due to the provincial Department of Education’s failure to meet its obligations.
Hoërskool Middelburg has issued an urgent notice informing parents that the school will close from Monday, 18 May 2026, until further notice. According to the notice, the school has paid more than R700 000 in salaries since 2025 because the Department failed to appoint and pay educators as required. The School governing Body (SGB) states that it can no longer bear this burden without compromising the school’s operational integrity.
The DA does not support the unlawful closure of schools. Learners must never be used as bargaining chips in disputes between SGBs and the Department.
This position is consistent with the Department’s response to the recent closure of Humansdorp High School, in which the Department condemned the unlawful closure, reopened the school, and said it had moved to revoke the SGB’s powers. The Department stated that the closure violated the BELA Act, the South African Schools Act, and the Constitution.
The looming closure of Hoërskool Middelburg must therefore be treated with urgency. The Department cannot allow another school to reach the point where an SGB believes closure is its only option. The correct response is not only to address the legality of a closure after the fact, but also to intervene before learners are affected.
At the same time, the Department cannot create the conditions for these closures and then place the full burden of the crisis on school governing bodies. If schools are being forced to use limited funds to pay salaries that should be funded by the Department, this points to a serious failure in planning, budgeting, post provisioning, or payment administration.
I will write to the Chairperson of the Education Portfolio Committee to request that the Head of Department, Sharon Maasdorp, be summoned to account for the Department’s handling of school closures linked to non-payment, educator vacancies, and SGB-funded posts. The Committee must receive a full report on all schools where SGBs have had to pay for posts that should be funded by the Department, the amounts involved, and the steps being taken to prevent further closures.
I will also submit parliamentary questions to determine why the Department has allegedly failed to meet these obligations, the total amount outstanding to Hoërskool Middelburg and other affected schools, when these payments are expected to be processed, and what steps are being taken to prevent SGBs from carrying salary costs that should be borne by the Department.
The Eastern Cape’s education system cannot rely on SGBs to absorb costs that arise from departmental failures. When schools are forced to use limited funds to pay salaries, the consequences are ultimately borne by learners, parents, teachers, and school communities.
The HOD must act before Monday’s closure takes effect. The priority must be to keep learners in class, resolve outstanding obligations, and ensure that no other school is placed in the same position.