Seven children in Diepsloot have been out of school since January due to confusion and repeated delays in school placements.
The affected pupils, who speak Tshivenda and Xitsonga, have been moved between three schools but remain at home while others attend classes.
Parents say the issue began in January 2025, when they registered their children at Muzi-omuhle Primary School. The school promised to call parents when classes were ready, but no call came until May.
“Our children have been sitting at home since the year started. Other kids are in school, and ours are just losing time,” said concerned parent.
Transferred from One School to Another In May, parents were instructed to take the children to Tanganani Primary School, where they were placed in classrooms and given books. For two weeks, the children attended lessons before being told to leave.
According to parents, the school said there was no Grade 7 and that Venda and Tsonga language support was not available. The children were then transferred to Msenga Vhadzimu Primary School, where they submitted all documents, including transfer letters from the Department of Education.
Accepted… Then Rejected
Parents received an SMS from Msenga Vhadzimu informing them that the children had been accepted and should report to school. However, when they arrived, they were told to go back home because exams were in progress. They were asked to return after the winter break on 22 July.
When schools reopened, the parents were told that their children would be moved to Bambanani, a temporary site that allegedly has no toilets or water. To date, no arrangements have been finalized, and the children remain out of school.
Shockingly, this week, parents received a new SMS from Msenga Vhadzimu Primary School stating:
“Be informed that your child could not be placed at Musengavhadzimu Primary School for the 2025 academic year. Apologies for the inconvenience.”
(See screenshot below.)
![Screenshot of SMS message]
Department Aware But No Action
Parents say they have reported the issue to Mr. JoJo from the Department of Education, who initially instructed them to take the children to Tanganani. However, the situation has not improved.
Parents Demand Immediate Intervention“We want our children to be at school like the others. Since January, we have been running around. Other children have been placed, but our Venda kids are still at home,” said concerned parent.
The parents are now calling on the Gauteng Department of Education to urgently intervene and ensure that language and infrastructure issues do not deprive their children of education.