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Learners and teachers of Nancefield Primary School, Soweto, will not have a proper school to return to when the schools open for the fourth term because the contractor is threatening to remove the mobile classrooms due to nonpayment of rent.

Kwikspace Modular Buildings PTY, the supplier of mobile classrooms, claims that THOVU Construction PTY, contracted by the Department of Infrastructure Development (DID) and the Department of Education (GDE), has not been paid R2 million for the rental of the mobile classrooms. THOVU Construction PTY has already issued a notice to both DID and GDE that they will be removing the mobile classrooms.

This information was revealed by Kwikspace Modular Buildings PTY during a meeting with the school governing body (SGB).

Furthermore, the contractor has abandoned the project of building a brick-and-mortar structure at Nancefield Primary School due to payment issues.

Failure by DID to manage school infrastructure projects efficiently will severely affect learning and teaching at Nancefield Primary School.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi must account for the years of neglect of school infrastructure and failure to ensure that Nancefield Primary School is completed within the stipulated timeline and budget.

The DA demands that the Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, urgently liaise with DID to appoint a contractor to complete abandoned schools and solve payment issues with the contractor. This will save the department millions of rands on monthly rentals. No learner from the Nancefield Primary School must miss a day of schooling due to the department’s failure to pay rentals for mobile classrooms.

Issued by Sergio dos Santos MPL - DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Education