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The ablution facilities at Job Rathebe Secondary School are in a terrible state despite the Gauteng Department of Education spending more than R1,7 million to refurbish the ablution facilities.

The parents of learners are unhappy about the shoddy work done by the two contractors hired to refurbish the toilets and replace the gutters.

Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) conducted an oversight inspection at the school, and we discovered that some toilets have no doors, there are water leakages, and taps are not working, yet the school has signed off on the job card. The incomplete gutter installation will cause flooding issues during the rainy season.

The school has over 800 learners but still has no functional taps for drinking water. The school needs new furniture and regular cleaning and maintenance.

Furthermore, last year July, learning and teaching came to a standstill at this school due to concerns over broken toilets and an underperforming principal.

Despite the former principal retiring in February, the post has not been filled permanently. The DA will establish why there is still an acting principal and when the post will be filled.

The absence of a permanent principal has had a considerable impact on the functioning of the school. The school is dirty; there is litter all over, even though there are general workers. Late coming and noise during contact lessons are some challenges observed during the oversight inspection.

The DA will submit written questions to the department to ascertain the scope of the refurbishment project, the total budget, and the details of the two contractors appointed to refurbish the ablution facilities and install gutters.

The DA believes that it is the responsibility of the department and the schools to ensure that the work done by the contractors is of the required standard before signing off the job cards. By so doing, the contractors can account for and fix any unsatisfactory work done.

Issued by Khume Ramulifho MPL and Dr Ntombi Khumalo MP - DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education and DA Political Head for Soweto East