BASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga briefed the media
on the state of readiness for reopening schools on Saturday, 24 July.
She said public schools were ready to open on Monday.
Pupils had been on holiday for three weeks after their two-week holiday was extended under lockdown level 4 regulations.
However, many parents were worried that it was too early for their kids to return to school.
Molebatsi Dibetso said she was against her grade 2 child returning to Lefofa Primary School in Hammanskraal, Tshwane.
“I am against reopening schools because of the high rate of Covid-19 infections. What about our children? I think they are putting our children at risk,” she said.
Lerato Songwane, the mother of a grade 4 pupil at Mmamotse Primary School in Hammanskraal, said children must be vaccinated before returning to school.
Joshua Nyatlo (56) from Mamelodi in Tshwane said high schools should partially open but primary schools must remain closed.
Joshua said: "I suggest that primary school pupils must start going to school in September because of Covid-19."
Yolanda Come (38) from Lusaka in Mamelodi East said schools should be reopened as children were roaming the streets.
Motshekga said the reopening would be confirmed on Sunday evening when President Cyril Ramaphosa was expected to update the nation.
She said she was concerned about vandalism of schools over the previous few weeks. She said in Gauteng, more than 43 schools had been vandalised since the year began.
She said ablution blocks and plumbing equipment were damaged, water tanks were stolen and electrical wire and fences were stolen. In some cases, libraries were even set alight.
At the end of June Ramaphosa put the country on alert level 4, banning gatherings and alcohol sales and extending the curfew to the hours between 9pm and 4am.
Since then, Gauteng and several other provinces have passed the peak of the third wave of infections.