Western Cape schools will be open on Wednesday, 13 May 2026

12 May 2026 – Statement by Minister David Maynier, Minister of Education Western Cape

Based on updated guidance from the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and the South African Weather Service, all schools in the Western Cape will be open on Wednesday, 13 May 2026.

There may be schools that need to remain closed due to infrastructure damage or access challenges caused by the storm, and they will request permission on a case by-case-basis. Any schools approved for closure will communicate directly with parents.

Principals have been asked to report any infrastructure damage to the department as soon as possible.  

Thank you to our school staff, officials and parents for the smooth implementation of the closures over the past week. 

And a special thank you to the emergency services, disaster management officials, and all stakeholders who continue to support our schools in these circumstances. 

We urge the public to only rely on official communication channels such as the WCED website and social media accounts. Over the past week, we have seen a significant amount of fake news being distributed, either through the alteration of official graphics, forgery of officials’ signatures, or through images created with AI. 

The distribution of fake news takes time and resources away from supporting schools during severe weather events, so we appeal to everyone to first verify information using official channels before sharing.