R45m needed to fix Riverlea school after fire damage

Gauteng education MEC Lebogang Maile says his department will need about R45m to fix infrastructure damage at Riverlea Secondary School caused by fires that date as far back as 2007.

This comes after yet another fire gutted the Johannesburg school on Tuesday evening and destroyed three classrooms, a laboratory and the school library.

A fire at the school last year damaged 12 classrooms. None of the classrooms that were damaged by the 2007 and 2025 fires have been fixed.

“The cost of repairing the damage is estimated at R45m, adding further strain to an already stretched education budget,” Maile said when he visited the school on Tuesday.

Maile also revealed that last year, the department spent R1.6m to procure mobile classrooms after 12 brick and mortar classrooms were destroyed in the fire.

He said a single mobile classroom costs R390,000.

He said this time they will not provide mobile classrooms for the pupils, adding that lessons for the 320 affected pupils will continue in the school hall.

Grades 8 and 9 affected by the blaze are being accommodated in the hall, while grades 10, 11 and 12 have continued classes uninterrupted.

According to Maile, it will take between five to 10 days to refurbish the three classrooms that were damaged, hence there was no need to provide mobile classrooms.

“We don’t think we need them when there are classrooms that can be renovated. Instead of spending money on mobile units, we will redirect those funds to repairs. Unfortunately, this could take five to 10 extra days, but we believe it is a better option,” he said.

Maile said some of the R45m will be spent on improving security and lighting will be prioritised.

“Lighting is certainly a priority in the school, especially at night,” he said.

Riverlea residents and community leaders have raised serious concerns about security lapses at the school.

Community Policing Forum chairperson Mongezi Hlahla believes the fire may have been started by a community member.

Sowetan