Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile announced on 13 September 2026 that 32 independent schools were served with closure letters between January and September this year, and two school directors were arrested as the province intensified a crackdown on illegal institutions.
Speaking at a media briefing in Johannesburg, Maile said officials visited 61 schools suspected of operating without registration. Seven of those had already stopped functioning before enforcement action began, while four have since applied to register with the department.
The briefing, reported independently by CapeFlats.co.za using the department’s official release, came as the province defended its R1.13-billion subsidy budget for qualifying independent schools in the 2026/27 financial year.
“Between January and September 2026, 61 schools were visited and 32 were served with closure letters. Of the schools dealt with in 2026, seven were found to have ceased operating, four subsequently applied for registration with the department and two school directors were arrested.”
Maile stressed that the department does not treat a closure as the final step because displaced learners still need places. The province is working to reintegrate children into registered institutions or, where the closed school has applied for registration, to fast-track the compliance process.
The surge in enforcement builds on a 2025 operation that uncovered 57 unregistered schools. Gauteng now has 1,083 operational independent schools, up from 961 in 2021, and 279 of those receive government subsidies.
The MEC warned parents that a school’s building, uniform, or website proves nothing about its legal standing. Parents should demand to see a school’s EMIS registration certificate and check Umalusi accreditation before enrolling children.
The R1.13-billion subsidy allocation – R621 million for primary schools and R508 million for secondary schools – is permitted under the Constitution and the South African Schools Act, Maile said. He added that the funding goes only to qualifying institutions that meet strict criteria.
The department has not yet released the names of the arrested directors or the locations of the schools served with closure letters. Maile said the crackdown will continue, with unannounced visits planned across all five Gauteng districts before the end of the school year.