R35m school building gone to waste
A man who lives in a village 15 km outside of Mojadjiskloof says a R35 million school has become a criminal hiding spot.
LIMPOPO – Premier Stanley Mathabatha told President Jacob Zuma during a sitting of the National Council of Provinces that the province needs R2,4 billion for school infrastructure while another state-of-the-art school has been abandoned and used by locals as ablution facilities and shelter for harbouring criminals.
Lebaka B Primary School in Modjadjiskloof was built three years ago by the Department of Education at a cost of R35 million.
It consists of a science laboratory, a library, a hall, a kitchen, administration block and 20 classrooms. The furniture alone cost R5 million. The school has never been officially handed over to the community in spite of being completed three years ago.
“The school looks like a pigsty. The entrance to the school is characterised by used condoms, scattered paving bricks, broken tables and chairs and a heap of faeces,” said Steven Maloabotsheba Sefofa during a visit by CV recently.
Sefofa, who lives in a village some 15 km away from Modjadjiskloof, said criminals had taken advantage of the “white elephant” school and now use it as a hiding spot.
Most of the material used to build the school has been ripped off, torn down or stolen.
A local constructor, James Letsoalo said to rebuild the school would take about R15 million.
Education Spokesperson Dr Naledzani Rasila said the school was not handed over to the community as the department was still involved in a legal tussle with the service provider.
During the sitting of the NCOP, which was held recently, Mathabatha said Limpopo had prioritised school infrastructure projects including the repair of storm-damaged schools, provisioning of additional classrooms, water and sanitation.
He told Zuma the province had already spent R2,9 billion in the past three years and that an additional R2,4 billion would be needed in the next three years for infrastructure.
The DA recently said that a total of 75 schools were left abandoned when the province was put under administration a few years ago.
DA Provincial Leader, Jacques Smalle said the total budget for the backlog of such schools was estimated at R25 billion.
“It is time the province reprioritised infrastructure so that children, especially those living in far-flung villages and farms also attend lessons in better schools,” he said.
thoko@nmgroup.co.za
