The Ekurhuleni municipality has sent electricity disconnection notices to 189 schools which could disrupt lessons in the classrooms.
Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said the metro is owed more than R123m by provincial government departments, including R109.2m from education, R9.9m from health and R4m from infrastructure development.
“In our drive to ensure that departments pay us, we are utilising section 102 monthly for credit control application, including monthly disconnections where there is absence of payment,” he said.
Dlamini said that disconnection notices were issued to 189 schools across all nine regions and that the metro has already implemented disconnections at other government facilities, including courts, military bases, regional offices, police stations and social services offices.
“We bill government between R50m and R70m monthly. If this is not collected, it places a strain on the municipal budget,” he said.
The move has sparked concern among school governing bodies.
If electricity is cut, there will be no proper teaching. Much of the work teachers do depends entirely on having power.
— Matakanye Matakanya, General secretary of the National Association of School Governing Bodies
General secretary of the National Association of School Governing Bodies, Matakanye Matakanya, said schools should not be burdened with historical debt.
“We want to call upon the department to settle the initial outstanding account and bring it to zero. From that point, schools can then take responsibility for current accounts,” Matakanya said.
“If electricity is cut, there will be no proper teaching. Much of the work teachers do depends entirely on having power. We are calling on the department to urgently make arrangements so that education can continue without disruption.”
Matakanya said he was aware of a school in Vosloorus that was reportedly disconnected due to billing disputes.
Meanwhile, the City of Johannesburg says the Gauteng government owed it just over R1.3bn as of the end of January 2026. The metro is engaging provincial departments through the Gauteng government’s debt management committee, with some departments entering payment arrangements.
City spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said the Gauteng education department has advised the city that individual schools are now responsible for settling their own municipal accounts.
“As a result, an increasing number of schools are engaging directly with the city and entering into payment arrangements,” he said.
However, concerns are growing about whether schools are financially equipped to absorb these costs.
The DA’s shadow education MEC in Gauteng, Sergio Dos Santos, said many schools were granted section 21 functions last year, giving them authority to manage utility payments. But he warned that allocations from the Gauteng education department do not adequately cover rising utility costs.
“What is happening in some schools is that they are diverting funds meant for learning and teaching support material to pay utilities because they need water and electricity,” Dos Santos said.
He also raised concerns about possible incorrect billing, citing cases where schools received high utility bills during the December holiday period when they were closed.
“There are instances where schools, especially in Eldorado Park, believe they are being billed on incorrect meters or receiving estimated readings. Some have underground water leaks they cannot afford to fix, which drives up their accounts,” he said.
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