Taps embedded in concrete blocks that make it impossible to fix leaks, broken floor tiles and no ventilation in bathrooms are some examples of poor planning and shoddy workmanship at new schools across SA.
A team of officials from the department of basic education visited a few of these schools to assess how the R9.4bn education infrastructure grant for April 2020 to March 2021 was spent.
The Financial and Fiscal Commission told parliament last week that “the permanent on-site supervision of contractors is largely absent”. This enabled builders to hide defects and the poor material used.
These were some of the issues raised in the department’s report:
• A “total overhaul” was needed at Dr Blok Secondary School in the Free State where some hostel pupils were moved to a guesthouse because of “poor planning”;
• A 2.3m toilet building project at Mgezwa Senior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape where cracks were found throughout the structure and no ventilation was provided;
• A lack of sports and recreational facilities at the new Setlabotjha Primary School in Gauteng;
• The construction of Yinhle Lentfo Primary School in Mpumalanga being delayed and pupils using mobile classrooms; and
• Taps were of a “poor quality” at Boschrand Primary in Mpumalanga and the bathrooms for foundation-phase pupils (grades R, 1, 2 and 3) were “not appropriate for the age of the children” because the taps were too high.
The 1,214 pupils at Boschrand Primary School moved into their new R57.6m school in mid-February. The school had used 19 mobile classrooms since 2009. But parents say a noisome odour from an overflowing septic tank created a serious health hazard.
Two deep trenches were dug in August and these became waterlogged with sewage from the septic tank. Becony Maloka, chair of the school's governing body, said complaints to Mpumalanga’s education department had fallen on deaf ears.
“The department is failing our children. It’s a new school but cheap-quality taps were installed,” Maloka said.
He told the department in a letter this week that despite the governing body spending R24,000 in July to drain the septic tank, it continued to leak.
“People dug some trenches and left them open and unattended. A child can fall into the trench , which is 1.8m deep.”
Clement Hlebeya, chair of the governing body of Yinhle Lentfo Primary School, said parents had been reluctant since January to allow their children to use the new building because of safety concerns.
“It’s a beautiful school but it has been built right in the middle of a very bushy area where there must be snakes. We want the bush to be cleared,” Hlebeya said.
He said the governing body sent a letter to the Mpumalanga education department this week demanding that the bush be cleared. “I was informed ... there was no budget to clear the bush.”
Demichelle Petherbridge of Section 27 said the NGO, which is also involved with education, was worried that the late payment of invoices, poor planning and misdiagnosis of infrastructure problems had led to waste and further delays.
“Section27 is also concerned that additions and improvements made at some schools are of a poor quality and will require further repair,” Petherbridge said.
She said that, according to the report, Garankuwa Primary School in Gauteng was provided with outside taps that were embedded in the concrete, making it impossible to fix leaks.
“These issues signal a severe lack in the quality of workmanship and raise concerns over the implementing agents used to fix our schools.”
Mpumalanga education department spokesman, Jasper Zwane, said that the broken taps and tiles at Boschrand Primary may not be the result of shoddy work but wear and tear due to the use of the facility.
“The contractor is attending to the French drain of the septic tank which is causing an overflow. Where defects occurred due to the contractor’s fault, the contractor will be liable for the cost.”
Commenting on the toilet project at Mgezwa Senior Secondary School, Eastern Cape education department spokesperson Mali Mtima said the services of the department of environmental affairs, which was the donor, has been terminated “due to poor performance”.
“The structure, because of the cracks, is potentially a hazard.”
He said the construction of the toilets had not been completed despite the completion date being last December.
“The department is working on an assessment of this project with a view of sourcing a budget to complete the structure.”
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