![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2016/11/EducationMECPanyazaL_51644_tn.jpg)
Zandspruit will have its own high school by mid-2018.
This was revealed by the MEC for Education in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi on 15 November at the Provincial Legislature.
Lesufi was responding to a question posed by a member of the EFF, Mandisa Mashego who wanted to know if there are any plans to build a high school in Zandspruit. The MEC said a new school will be built in the next financial year, which starts in April next year.
Mashego demanded that Lesufi should give specific timelines on when the school will be complete. “It takes between 11 and 13 months to build a school,” Lesufi said. He also highlighted that the biggest challenge his department faced was securing proper land where a school can be built but said this was water under the bridge.
Currently, there are only two primary schools in Zandspruit and pupils who are in high school, attend school in the neighbouring Cosmo City, which is more than five kilometres from Zandspruit.
Mashego also highlighted that there were problems with scholar transport that the department has made available between Zandspruit and Cosmo City. According to Mashego, the scholar transport is inadequate and it did not always arrive, leaving pupils stranded and having to walk to school.
Lesufi, however, dismissed the scholar transport allegations and said the transport serviced the pupils in a satisfactory manner. “Those who end up walking to school are those who arrive at the bus stop late. I have checked with the school and they confirmed that there were no issues with the scholar transport.”