By Charmaine Ndlela
Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile has warned municipalities that schools disconnected over unpaid electricity bills must be reconnected immediately or the provincial government will consider legal action.
Speaking during a media briefing on Monday following the conclusion of the Gauteng government’s “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” outreach programme, Maile described the disconnection of schools as “reckless” and “irresponsible”, saying municipalities should not treat schools as easy targets for revenue collection.
“We are warning the municipalities for the last time today, whatever school that is disconnected must be connected immediately,” Maile said.
“If they don’t do that, we are going to explore our legal options because you can’t disconnect schools.”
Maile said the department provides schools with funding to pay for water and electricity, but acknowledged that the money available to individual schools is limited.
He said the department was considering centralising the payment function
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