‘Completed’ toilets at school do not exist, yet
The Department of Education said there may have been an error on the list of planned projects by listing Matsamo Primary School as one of the schools that has already benefited.
SCHOEMANSDAL – The DA in Mpumalanga wrote to the Public Protector requesting an investigation into possible corruption related to infrastructure initiatives within the provincial Department of Education.
The Public Protector’s communications head, Oupa Segalwe, confirmed receipt of the complaint by the party. According to the DA, a report from the department, which lists infrastructure projects for Ehlanzeni schools, was received by its office. Matsamo Primary School was listed as one of the initiatives whereby 10 pit toilets would be demolished and be replaced with 28 flush ones.
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“According to this report, the project started on September 1, 2019 and was completed on February 28. The final account was paid on June 1. The total cost of the project was more than R2,6 million. However, upon further engagement with parents, and after being sent photos, it is evident that there are no flush toilets which have been built to date at the school. “We also received information that a Mpumalanga Department of Education engineer had submitted evidence that infrastructure projects that have been carried out at various provincial schools do not fit the scope of work in the infrastructure reports,” said Jane Sithole, DA provincial leader and spokesperson for education.
Sithole said another school in KaBokweni, Entokozweni Primary, which is listed in the same report as Matsamo Primary School, shows that the department has not started this project budgeted at R2,4 million. “However, we have seen evidence which indicates that the project has in fact started with the cost doubling to R4,8 million,” she said. Education spokesperson, Gerald Sambo admitted that Matsamo Primary is part of the 249 schools that are currently with the implementing agent (DPWRT) for planning, design and construction for the current financial year for the provision of toilets.
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“As an interim measure, an approval has been granted for the school to lease toilets. Matsamo is in the infrastructure plans of the previous year with the cost estimates as reported, but they have not been implemented as the budget was allocated for the 2020/21 financial year, according to those plans,” Sambo said.
He said there was no construction nor payment that has been incurred by the department relating to Matsamo Primary.
“The department is currently looking at how this has happened as it has caused unnecessary confusion,” Sambo said. Parents and community members protested over the lack of safety of their children at Matsamo.
Bongani Mndawe, a community leader who penned the parents’ and community members’ grievances and handed the memorandum to the circuit manager, Philemon Shekwa, confirmed that three weeks ago parents and community members forcefully shut down the school, refusing that their children to be taught in a dangerous environment.
“We have raised concerns over the school’s outdated infrastructure which is now falling apart,” Mndawe said. He said Matsamo is one of the oldest schools in Nkomazi, built by the community 46 years ago.
“It is old and falling apart. It only has 19 classrooms which are supposed to accommodate 1 118 learners. This is a challenge on its own because we are unable to adhere to the Covid-19 protocols,” he said.
