Download PDFThe community of Wedela in the far West Rand, west of Johannesburg, Gauteng, has decided to come together to fight for children’s basic human rights, specifically the right to basic education. For over eight long years, Wedela Technical High School has been a school without basic services such as water, sanitation and electricity. On the 11th of July 2026, former learners of the school and community members decided to put into action the initiative of fixing the school and preserving the education and rights of learners in the community.
In the year 2019, when the illegal miners known as zama zamas began terrorising the community and taking over the streets and community, the school was on the receiving side, as its workshops had technical machinery that were part of the school learning programmes, as it specialises in technical studies. The school was left in devastating conditions, with classes left without windows, electricity and machinery for school work. Since 2019, the school has only 1 generator to help with the school office work and only 1 functional water tap that needs to cater for over 1,600 learners and staff.
Mr Panyaza Lesufi was the MEC of Education in 2019 when the community and learners took matters to his office and he promised to get back to the community with a way forward. To this date, the community has lodged complaints and pleas with the Provincial Office, yet to this day there have not been improvements or any action taken. A security company was hired to patrol and guard the school, yet the government failed to pay them, which led to another break-in happening in the past year. From the middle of last year, the school has been guarded by community volunteers who patrol the school premises at night and day for safeguarding the little that is currently left of the school. They are being paid by donations from community members and parents, which do not even amount to the basic minimum wage of South Africa.
The GDE and the Gauteng Provincial Offices have failed the learners and children of Wedela. The community no longer has hope in the government and will do things on its own. For the past 8 years, the situation has escalated, and now it is up to them to make sure that the school operates while preserving the future of the coming generations.
This article was submitted on 07 July 2026. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
