The future of thousands of Nelson Mandela Bay pupils has been seriously compromised by delays as construction projects totalling more than R200m have ground to a halt.
Studying in shifts, overcrowded classrooms and only being able to cover certain aspects of the curriculum have become the norm for pupils at Jubilee Park Primary School in Uitenhage, while Rufane Donkin Primary in Gelvandale and Bethelsdorp Comprehensive High are facing a slew of challenges of their own due to delays.
Construction at each of the schools has come to a standstill due to irregular payment to contractors by the implementing agents – the department of public works and Coega Development Corporation (CDC) – through the project owners, the department of education.
Contractors left the sites of the projects, valued at about R77m, R54m and R80m respectively, as early as February.
Aside from Transtruct at Jubilee Park – which is on site but not working while it waits for payment – Goliath Construction, Ditshimega Projects at Rufane Donkin, and Mtawelenga MCC JV at Bethelsdorp Comprehensive, have all abandoned the sites.
Education department superintendent-general Themba Kojana said implementing agents were a major concern and the issue was being prioritised by a joint team comprising members of provincial departments of education and public works, and the Treasury, as well as the office of the premier.
Kojana said the department needed to tighten its process regarding implementing agents and contractors.
However, his assurance did little to convince the principals, who said they had been fed the same broken promises for almost five years in two of the cases.
At Jubilee Park, it has taken contractors since 2014 to get to the existing 93% state of completion.
While the school building merely lacks some finishing touches, most of the pupils are crammed into eight temporary classrooms on the premises.
Principal Patric Korkee said the school was forced to split the academic day into two shifts, with half the 1,320 pupils attending class from 8am to noon, and the second shift from noon to 4pm. “These children are receiving education far inferior to the norm,” he said.
“As a result of the shortened contact time, teachers are forced to choose the sections of the curriculum that they feel are most important and leave the rest because there just isn’t time.
“These children are doomed to failure at high school level.
“Our grade 7s are going to high school with a backlog in education of five years.
“Their futures have been ripped away from them through no fault of their own.
“Not to mention the safety concerns which arise from attending classes on what is essentially a construction site.
“Even a teacher was injured when she fell in a ditch.
“We are forced to carry on regardless of the circumstance for the children’s sake.”
Project manager Tshamakeji Isaac said the construction at Jubilee Park could be concluded within a month should it receive the overdue payment.
“There is not much left to be done, but we have already exhausted our own funding.
“We are waiting for payment before we do anything else,” he said.
“Throughout the project, we have had irregular payments hampering its progress.”
Rufane Donkin principal Heather Theron said that despite construction starting in 2012 – and two contractors being appointed, but subsequently leaving – the school was still uncertain when the project would be completed, “if ever”.
“Everything has been crammed – the children’s play area has been limited to a quad which has to accommodate all 650 pupils,” she said.
“And [having] classes with at least 40 pupils each forces children to sit on the floor – basically on the teacher’s lap. Aside from affecting the quality of education, it has also had a negative effect on discipline.
“Just when we think a contractor will get the job done, there is an issue of nonpayment and the contractor leaves.
“The last contractor stopped work in December and left in February.”
Bethelsdorp Comprehensive is the most recent of the building failures.
The project was launched in June 2017 with much fanfare – principal Leon Arendse said he thought a long-term dream had been realised.
“After 45 years of being housed in a temporary structure, it was a godsend when we were told we would finally receive our new building.
“But that wonderful dream was soon taken from us following a host of issues surrounding payments.
“It [building project] was scheduled to be completed by the second quarter of 2019.
“However, the contractor left the site with only 11% of the job being completed.
“Subsequently, the security also left and, ever since, the construction supplies are being stolen off the premises.
“It is demoralising for both pupils and staff.
“Seeing sections of the new building being hauled off is destroying the spirit of all those involved.
“What’s worse is now that the contractor has left the site, the job has to be [put out for tender again], which will cause further delays.”
The education department’s Kojana said public works and the CDC had been assigned as implementing agents as they had the necessary expertise.
He said the reason for the delay in payments related to the validation of invoices from the contractors.
“There must be validation of invoices and the work that has been done before we can pay [the implementing agent who, in turn, pays contractors].
“So now we are working with the office of the premier, the provincial Treasury and public works,” Kojana said.
“Following a special meeting [two weeks ago], we are now working through all the invoices and are in the process of paying the validated invoices.”
Kojana said that before putting the projects where the contractors had left the site out for tender again, the department would first pay the contractors what they were owed and then offer them the opportunity to complete the job.
Public works spokesperson Vuyokazi Mbanjwa said it was waiting for the money from the department of education to pay the contractors at Jubilee Park.
Mbanjwa denied construction at Bethelsdorp Comprehensive had stopped as a result of nonpayment, saying it was because of a contract transfer to a new contractor, which was at an advanced stage.
Simlindele Manqina, the spokesperson for Rufane Donkin implementing agent the CDC, referred all questions to the education department.