NGO challenges Gauteng’s claim of only 4 858 unplaced learners

Soil of Africa says the number of unplaced learners shows poor planning

Civil society organisation Soil of Africa says it rejects the Gauteng Department of Education’s claim that only 4 858 learners are unplaced for the 2026 academic year, calling it a failure and a crisis of governance.

The organisation says thousands of children being denied access to education, is unacceptable and reflects poor planning.

Soil of Africa’s President King Bongani Ramontja, will lead oversight visits in Gauteng next week to demand accountability from authorities.

“The reason why we’re calling it a crisis- is because of the online system that they’ve created. The system currently doesn’t have a cloud that can be able to contain all the information that is coming. The system cannot hold the peak pressure of the applications that are coming in. It always crashes. The system also always gives the wrong information, while they’ve uploaded the right documents from the parents’ side,” says Ramontja.

[LISTEN] Soil of Africa is rejecting the Gauteng Department of Education’s claim of unplaced learners for the 2026 academic year. President, King Bongani Ramontja says they will demand accountability from authorities

🔗https://t.co/RB7YNeB4NP #sabcnews #FirstTakeSA pic.twitter.com/1jhhONtJnR

— SABC News Radio (@SABCNews_Radio) January 9, 2026

He says that this frustrates parents as the system doesn’t give what is needed.

“I believe that the department now needs to upgrade the system,” he adds.

[LISTEN] Soil of Africa is rejecting the Gauteng Department of Education’s claim of unplaced learners for the 2026 academic year. President, King Bongani Ramontja says they will demand accountability from authorities

🔗https://t.co/RB7YNeB4NP #sabcnews #FirstTakeSA pic.twitter.com/1jhhONtJnR

— SABC News Radio (@SABCNews_Radio) January 9, 2026