FEDSAS brings urgent court application after Emfuleni leaves schools without water

Learners and teachers in schools in Vanderbijlpark have been without water since yesterday after the Emfuleni Local Municipality cut the water supply to schools due to the Department of Public Works' failure to pay property taxes.

The Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS) is bringing an urgent court application today in order to force the municipality to reconnect the water supply. "The municipality's actions are illegal and the wrong party is being held responsible. Children are being punished because the property owner, the State, is not paying," says Dr Jaco Deacon, Deputy CEO of FEDSAS. The governing bodies of two of the schools, Transvalia and Eligwa, are members of FEDSAS.

Deacon says what makes this incident worse is that exams are underway at the schools. "The children cannot be sent home. It is their record exams which have an important influence on their future."

The urgent court application is being brought by FEDSAS and Afriforum. "Afriforum has expressed its shock at the fact that learners are now the victims of bureaucratic red-tape. We will do everything within our power to ensure that learners can write exams," says Ms Alana Bailey, spokesperson of Afriforum.

FEDSAS has tried to negotiate with the Emfuleni Local Municipality but to no avail. The municipality is simply refusing to budge. Deacon explains that the schools are responsible for the cost of consumption of water and electricity, but the Department of Public Works is responsible for paying municipal taxes. "The accounts of all of the schools involved are fully paid up."

FEDSAS is also calling on the Minister of Basic Education, Ms Angie Motshekga, to take charge. "How can we teach learners about discipline when an example of disciplined behaviour is not set? The State should take full responsibility and FEDSAS is requesting that the officials involved be disciplined and removed from the system," says Deacon.

(FEDSAS is a voluntary association of school governing bodies of public schools and supports quality education in these schools. Nearly 1750 public schools are already members of FEDSAS).

Statement issued by Dr Jaco Deacon Deputy CEO: FEDSAS and Ms Alana Bailey, Spokesperson: Afriforum, June 26 2014

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