Collusion alleged on R80m unsafe school

SENIOR officials at the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development and Property Management are to face the music for allegedly colluding with a contractor in using more than R80 million to build a school in a waterlogged area.

This was revealed by Bones Modise – chairperson of the Gauteng provincial legislature’s portfolio committee on Infrastructure Development and Property Management – who said the committee was now considering criminal charges against the officials implicated and the contractor.

“The decision was taken during a joint committee meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Education on September 3, where members of both committees unanimously agreed on the move. The committee is in the process of consulting the legislature’s legal team to ascertain the legalities of such a move,” Modise said.

He said both committees had agreed that a letter be written to Premier David Makhura to request an investigation that would lead to disciplinary action against officials responsible for overseeing the construction of the school near Tembisa.

“The committee made disappointing and shocking revelations during a visit at Mayibuye Primary School on

August 21 as part of its oversight programme of assessing the standard and quality of work done by contractors in infrastructure development projects.

“The multimillion-rand school, which was supposed to be occupied in 2017, stands as a white elephant after the department failed to obtain an occupancy certificate due to the dangerous conditions in which the school was built in. The department has to date spend R82m on the school,” Modise said.

He said his committee has established that the school was constructed in contravention of the National Building Regulations and Building Standard Act 103, 1977. Modise said that his committee concluded that the occupancy of the school might be a death trap to learners and educators as the wetland can weaken the building structure which might collapse.

The multimillion-rand school stands as a white elephant Bones Modise PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON