DBE delays reopening of schools by 2 weeks amid Covid-19 second wave Share Cape Town - With the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic hitting South Africa with over a million infection cases and more than 35 000 deaths, the Department of Basic Education announced it would be delaying the reopening of schools by two weeks. South African public schools were scheduled to reopen on January 27 while most private schools had already kick-started their 2021 academic year. “Due to the impact of the coronavirus, the Council of Education in conjunction with the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) and Cabinet have taken the decision to delay the reopening of schools to February 15, in order to provide relief to the healthcare system,” said Deputy Minister Regina Mhaule.