Our special needs children have been without water and electricity for over a week

My son attends a special needs school in Randburg - Randburg Clinic. This school caters for children who suffer from Autism and Behavioural issues (ADHD, Anxiety, OCD, ODD and other behavioural problems). It also offers boarding facilities for parents who have far to travel or whose children need constant 24 hour care.

Last week Monday 22 July 2019, all children were sent home with a message to say the school was being closed indefinitely. We were informed that Joburg City Council had come and shut off the water and electricity citing non payment. It should also be noted that on the very same road there are 2 other schools who have also been cut because all 3 schools share the same meter. It has now surfaced that the account was not paid over by the GDE and complete negligence on their side.

On Wednesday 24th July 2019 all 3 principles went to council to lodge their complaints and an agreement was reached that the water and electricity would be reinstated. All parents received a message on Sunday 28th to say day scholars could come back to school and that everything would be up and running no later than Monday afternoon.

It is now Thursday the 1st of August and all schools are still sitting without water and electricity. We have had a Human Rights Activist speaking on our behalf to the GDE and Council to get a resolve. She was informed that the matter had been escalated and would be investigated and it was now out of the GDE’s hands and they would not help us further. She was also informed that only once the investigation was complete would we be back up and running. They have not even given a date or time allocation in which this can be resolved. As parents we have also mailed the GDE as well as the education ministers office and not getting any response or help. It has been their irresponsible actions and behaviour that has led to this in the first place and no one is currently taking accountability. To date neither the council or GDE have given us an update on what their intent is for resolve. At this point in time we are looking at an indefinite situation.

Due to the nature of their disabilities all children are on monitored diets and the school needs to heat up food to an exact temperature for the Autistic children for their digestion. They also have to make breakfast and lunches for the Behaviour children. We are running out of gas and there is a massive hygiene risk with no water and there are staff members who live on the property who are being affected by this too. We are all at a point of desperation. As parents of Special Needs children we don’t have many choices when it comes to Special Needs schools and there are only a handful in Joburg that are specifically built for these types of disabilities. The children who board still cannot go back to school and parents are becoming very concerned.

Currently, the school is running a part time generator, gas stoves and water tanks but the financial implications are becoming a massive concern and we don't know how long the school will be able to run these due to the fact that we are part funded.

I am desperately trying to raise awareness of the situation in order for kids to have their basic human rights met.