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Across South Africa, pervasive fears of crime and gang activity within Cape Town’s townships are compelling some parents to make difficult choices: sending their children on lengthy daily commutes to schools formerly reserved for white students. These decisions highlight the continuing struggle for quality education and safety in post-apartheid South Africa.
The Impact of Township Crime on Education
Sibahle Mbasana spoke to the BBC about the dire conditions plaguing the school her sons previously attended in Khayelitsha, Cape Town’s most populous township.
“Thugs would enter the school, brandishing firearms and intimidating educators, seizing their laptops while students watched,” Mbasana stated. “Imagine your child witnessing such events regularly. There is scarcely any security at the school, and even when present, they are powerless.”
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More than three decades following the end of apartheid, black learners still face significant inequalities that were integral to the former racist system.
Mbasana believes her three children are grappling with this legacy, particularly her eldest son, Lifalethu, who attended a township school from ages six to ten.
The Legacy of Apartheid Education
The Bantu Education Act of 1953, a cornerstone of apartheid legislation, deliberately limited the potential of black children. This act resulted in segregated schools, poorly funded and under-resourced in impoverished communities, which remain overcrowded and plagued by crime, substance abuse, and violence.
Mbasana, who relocated to Khayelitsha from Eastern Cape province at 18, felt obligated to transfer Lifalethu, now 12, and her other son, Anele, 11, to a public school approximately 40km (25 miles) away in Simon’s Town. This coastal town on the Cape Peninsula is known for its scenic bay and as the home of South Africa’s navy.
Their seven-year-old sister, Buhle, has since joined her brothers at the Simon’s Town school, which offers enhanced facilities and smaller classes.
“I resolved that Buhle would not attend that [local] school, considering the challenges my sons faced there,” the 34-year-old designer explained.
She and her husband aspire to relocate their family from Khayelitsha altogether.
“We don’t desire to reside in the township, but financial constraints prevent us from moving,” she admitted.
“Anyone living in the township would confirm they would leave at the first opportune moment if they could.”
Gang Violence and Extortion in Schools
While numerous township schools are led by dedicated principals and teachers who achieve remarkable results despite infrastructural and overcrowding issues, safety and security pose insurmountable challenges.
For instance, there have been reports of gangs demanding protection money from educators.
According to the GroundUp news website, teachers at Zanemfundo Primary School in Philippi East, near Khayelitsha, were allegedly coerced into paying 10% of their wages to extortionists who operated with apparent impunity.
“It is utterly unsafe. We are in grave danger,” one teacher told GroundUp.
“These gangs storm the school armed with guns. Our lives are in constant jeopardy. Teachers are requesting transfers due to profound safety concerns.”
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has responded by stationing a private security firm at the school and increasing police patrols in the vicinity.
However, similar incidents have purportedly occurred at five other schools in the nearby areas of Nyanga, Philippi, and Samora Machel.
The Cost of Commuting: Balancing Safety and Education
“My husband, Sipho, is employed by the navy in Simon’s Town, which influenced my decision to send our children to school there for their safety and well-being,” Mrs. Mbasana explained.
However, the extended commutes to safer schools, frequently via bus or minibus taxi, introduce new risks and strains.
“My children wake around 4.30am and depart at 5.50am with Sipho. When traveling by bus, due to Sipho’s work commitments, they leave by 5.30am and return home around 4.30pm,” Mrs. Mbasana detailed.
“They are perpetually fatigued and desire sleep. They persevere with their homework but sleep considerably earlier than their peers.”
Lifalethu gained national attention last year when he was forced to walk from Simon’s Town to Khayelitsha after being denied entry onto the bus because he lost his ticket.
The bus driver was subsequently suspended for violating company policy, which mandates assistance for uniformed schoolchildren who have misplaced their tickets.
Mrs. Mbasana experienced her worst fear when Anele called to report that his brother had been refused boarding.
A widespread social media campaign ensued, and fortunately, he was located. A good Samaritan had initially given him a lift to a gas station approximately 5km from his home.
From there, accompanied by a security guard residing in his area, he was eventually picked up by police officers and safely returned to his relieved family.
Unequal Access: A Lingering Issue
Lifalethu’s ordeal underscored the predicament of thousands of township students who undertake round trips of up to 80km daily via public transportation or minibus taxis to attend schools in formerly white-only suburban areas.
Affluent residents in these suburbs often prefer private education, resulting in available spaces in state schools for students from more distant communities.
Donovan Williams, the vice-principal at a public primary school in Observatory, Cape Town, notes that approximately 85% of the school’s 830 students come from townships, many of whom suffer from exhaustion due to long commutes.
“Some parents are employed locally, while most incur substantial transportation costs to enable their children’s attendance at schools with better resources,” he told the BBC.
“Occasionally, they fall asleep during class.”
Amnesty International asserts that South Africa’s school system remains one of the most unequal globally, with student outcomes heavily influenced by birthplace, affluence, and ethnicity.
“The top 200 schools achieve more mathematics distinctions than the subsequent 6,600 schools combined. The playing field must be equitable,” its 2020 report stated.
Funding Disparities and Teacher Shortages
While state schools receive subsidies, parents must still pay fees, ranging from $60 (£45) to $4,500 (£3,350) annually in the Western Cape.
Of the nearly 1,700 schools in the province, over 100 are designated “no-fee” institutions by the government for learners in economically disadvantaged areas.
The provincial education department acknowledges the need to supplement governmental funding shortfalls, with schools in more affluent areas relying on parental contributions to cover expenses.
The WCED also reported the recent elimination of 2,407 teaching positions due to the government’s allocation of only 64% of the nationally negotiated wage agreement with teachers.
These cuts resulted in the non-renewal of some contract teachers and the reassignment of permanent teachers.
“We are in an untenable situation not of our own making, and the Western Cape is not uniquely affected,” the WCED stated.
The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) emphasizes the detrimental impact on schools in impoverished and crime-ridden areas.
“The most severely affected schools are typically township schools. They lack the resources to replace teachers through governing-body appointments, unlike better-funded schools where parents can afford additional costs,” stated Naptosa executive director Basil Manuel.
“They bear the brunt of these cuts, endure larger class sizes, and experience increased teacher stress.”
“Students, particularly those less academically inclined, are more likely to fall behind.”
Historical Debt and Future Prospects
Experts attribute the continuing educational disparities to the debt inherited by the African National Congress (ANC) government from the apartheid regime in 1994.
“The ANC faced the reality of being unable to fulfill its initial promises,” Aslam Fataar, a research professor at Stellenbosch University, explained.
Faced with fiscal constraints, “poorer schools never had the opportunity to cultivate a sustainable platform for teaching and learning,” he added.
“Political interest in township schools waned approximately 20 years ago. Teacher expenditure and pupil-teacher ratios reflect the neglect of this sector. Teacher numbers in these schools continue to suffer disproportionately from budget cuts.”
Prof. Fataar offers a pessimistic outlook: “I see no prospect of increased funding for poor schools without a miracle.”
Parents like the Mbasanas, trapped in townships and vulnerable to gang activity, are losing patience.