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The Gauteng Department of Education has spent more than R7.9 million on infrastructure projects at the Klipspruit West Secondary School in Soweto, which still remain incomplete.  

According to the MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi in a reply to my written question tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, the infrastructure projects at Klipspruit West Secondary School included the restorative work on blocks A, B, C, the Administration Block and Exams Centre, as well as the construction of new water fountains and combi courts.

While Lesufi states that the department’s records reflect that all components of the project were successfully completed by the end of August 2020, it has however been established that after the supposed completion of the projects, the gate at the sports court was stolen. Given the risk of theft of other vulnerable infrastructure components, the goal posts as well as water fountain taps were removed and given to the project Community Liaison Officer for safe keeping.

 My oversight visit to the school has shown that this was not the case. While on the visit, l discovered that the multi-purpose court, water fountains and combi courts have been left incomplete.

The sports ground has turned into a bush, with big trees needing urgent removal. 

The sporting court floors are broken with cracks, evident of shoddy workmanship.

There is also no fence surrounding the sporting field, resulting in the facility used by intruders for suspected  activities.

See photos here, here, here, here, here

The total cost of the project was R8 676 851, and the total amount paid to the contractor to date is R7 946 314.64.

The outstanding amount of R730 533.36 is not enough to complete and fix the detected defects which means that the department will have to allocate more funding for the project to be properly finalised.

If the department had managed this project accordingly, it would have been completed within the allocated budget and timelines.

The DA challenges MEC Lesufi to conduct an oversight inspection at the school to assess the true status of these projects. Considering that Klipspruit West Secondary is the worst performing school in Gauteng, there is a critical need to allocate more resources to ensure that it improves on its performance.

We will continue to monitor the progress of the work being done to fix these structural defects.

Issued by The DA