Pupils suffer as renovations delayed

HUNDREDS of pupils from Qokolweni Senior Secondary have had to endure learning in dilapidated, leaky and cold shacks for the entire year while newly renovated classrooms stand unfinished.

Community leader Khonzisile Mani, speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday on behalf of the parents, said renovations at the school started in January this year but were still far from completion.

The school is situated in Qokolweni in Mthatha.

“Work on the school was being done and then the construction company just stopped work around July and has not returned since.

“Now we are just concerned about the health and safety risks of the unfinished renovations,” said Mani.

The Daily Dispatch visited the school yesterday and found about six shacks behind one of the school buildings, which the pupils use as classrooms.

Work seemed to have been done on the floors, ceilings and roof although One pupil said they thought the shack situation was going to be temporary but instead they have had to endure learning at the mercy of the weather.

Sikhulisele Nzinga in Grade 8 said they were happy when they saw renovations being done at their school, but now wished they had just left things as they were.

He said their school was old and the buildings were dilapidated but they would have preferred that to only one block was completed. learning in a shack.

“When it rains, all our chairs and desks get soaked, and some of our books. Sometimes the heat becomes unbearable,” he said.

Sikhulisele said one of the buildings was completed but they were still waiting for two more structures – including the admin and principal’s office block – to be completed.

Questions were sent to the department of education yesterday, but no response had been received at the time of writing. —