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ZIWAPHI • VOL 4 NO 10 • 14 - 20 May 2010

NELSPRUIT,

Mpumalanga’s Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport refuses to say when it plans to hand over two schools near Nelspruit to a community that has been waiting for them for almost four years.

Now the pupils of Mataffin, next to the Mbombela Stadium, have threatened to disrupt activities at the stadium and burn down government properties.

Public works, roads and transport MEC Clifford Mkasi and education MEC Reginah Mhaule were expected to hand over Cyril Clarke Secondary and John Mdluli Primary to the community in March but postponed the event. It was again postponed twice in April.

“Now the community is outraged,” said Mataffin community spokesperson Wanda Phiri. “Why were the schools not handed over as promised?”

The pupils were removed from their schools in late 2006 to make way for the construction of the stadium and have been housed in prefabricated classrooms ever since.

After increasing pressure and violent protests late last year, a tender for building the schools was finally issued and awarded to construction company Clear Choice Builders for the primary school, and Mpfumelelo Business Enterprise for the high school.

During a sod-turning ceremony on December 3, Mkasi promised that both schools would be delivered by March 31.

“I have committed myself to delivering these facilities. I don’t have a choice in the matter. Deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe and premier David Mabuza are on my neck. There’s no resting until the projects are complete,” he said at the time.

Construction logistics officer for Clear Choice Builders Percy Mkhabela said her company completed the primary school exactly on time.

“Building went smooth and we completed the first phase on March 31. The extension of two classrooms and the hall was finished on April 14. Even the soccer and netball fields are finished. Electricity is fine and all that’s left is for the water to be switched on,” she said.

Her counterpart at Mpfumelelo Business Enterprise, Imaan Milandzi, said the company also finished phase one of the high school as was agreed, although it could not complete phase two as it had hoped to do.

“Although we promised we would try to complete phase two as well, we only completed the classrooms and administration blocks as per phase one. We have not yet started with phase two - the hall, kitchen, laboratory, library and computer centre, and that will now happen in August, as per our original agreement,” he said.

Department of public works spokesperson Dumisane Malamule said that the water at the schools would be switched on by “the end of May”.

He refused to say what had caused the water delay and when his department would hand over the schools to the education department so that the pupils can move in.

And, according to spokesperson for the Department of Education Jasper Zwane, the official opening of the schools can only take place once this has happened.

“I must indicate the department is satisfied with the progress made by the service providers. They were able to deliver the first phase as per the stipulations of the agreement. They went to the extent of building structures that were supposed to be constructed only in August this year. The only thing that has caused the delay was the installation of the water system, which needed the public works department to fast-track the processing of payments for this to commence,” he said.