Unfinished classrooms now damaged

SIXTY-NINE schools in the Eastern Cape benefited from the construction of prefab classrooms in a programme of the Office of the Premier, but building has stopped at four schools in the Chris Hani district.

The structures at Southbourne Primary School in Komani, Lonwabo Primary in Ezibeleni, Whittlesea’s Sibonile High and Claremont Primary were expected to be finished last year, but that did not happen. The structures have since been damaged.

The four schools are part of 11 that were built by Reita Holdings, a company hired by the OTP to build the prefabs in the Joe Gqabi and Chris Hani districts.

Hawks provincial spokeswoman Captain Anelisa Feni said a task team was investigating allegations of criminal violation of the Public Finance Management Act, fraud, corruption and money laundering.

Feni said the OTP allegedly procured the classrooms for the financial years of 2015 to 2018, adding that no further information could be released as the matter was under investigation.

The construction of the R1.8-million prefab classrooms and an ablution block at Southbourne Primary School stopped last year and the structure has collapsed, adding to the school’s costs, as it is renting a house opposite the school’s premises.

The construction stopped after Enoch Mgijima municipality questioned the lack of building plans, which were supposed to have been handed in by the contractor.

In Ezibeleni, Lonwabo Primary principal Melikhaya Twabi said the company had stopped working on their three prefabs.

“The prefabs are of poor quality and now we have overcrowded classes,” he said.

Reita Holdings director Vuyo Mathu said he was responsible for building 11 prefab classrooms in the province, but problems with payment had stalled some of the work.

“Four of those schools are in Chris Hani district and others in Joe Gqabi. We had to stop building and some of the walls were ruined,” he said.

Mathu said they were trying to reach settlement terms with the OTP.

Chairman of the OTP committee, Sicelo Gqobana, said they had visited the schools on the insistence of premier Phumulo Masualle.

“In all the schools we visited, the situation was the same and it was disappointing,” he said.

“In Lonwabo, the structure is not complete, in Sibonile the walls are standing [but] there’s no concrete and the situation is chaotic. Claremont is no different from Sibonile and there are no basic services,” he said.

Provincial communications chief director Mandisa Titi said OTP had commissioned three companies to share the work at the 69 schools.

“Both HDM and Habitat delivered to the project in record time, except for Reita, against whom the OTP issued notice of default,” she said. Reita then opted to take the OTP to court, and a judgment for OTP to give them back the sites was issued, she said.

“The OTP’s legal department is working hand-in-glove with the provincial treasury in exploring ways to have the project back on track in the shortest time possible,” she said.

Mathu said they were supposed to resume work last week but it was stopped due to unfinished paperwork.

Feketshane said building plans for the construction of the additional classrooms at Southbourne had not been submitted beforehand.

“We have sent letters to the relevant department in Bhisho to ensure procedure is followed,” he said.