Accident on the horizon

A Pietermaritzburg high school has warned residents and pupils to avoid the hall it normally uses as a wall of the building is weak and may collapse soon.

Heather Secondary School has cordoned off the area with chevron tape and a warning sign. Alongside the wall there is a walkway used by pupils, parents and guardians to go to and from the school.

School principal DK John has written to the parents warning them of the “extreme danger” posed by the state of near-collapse of the wall.

“Those in the vicinity of this wall are in danger of it collapsing onto them. Cars in the parking area close to the wall face the same danger,” he wrote, adding that the wall was leaning towards the pavement and cracks were visible, indicating that the upper part was likely to fall over soon.

The school uses the hall for functions and exams and it is also available for hire to the public.

The building is owned by the KwaZulu-Natal department of arts and culture, whch was alerted to the problem in 2015 when the structural weakness first became apparent.

School governing body chairperson Pearl Pillay said the principal had been writing to the department since 2015. “We have not heard from them at all.”

Ward 28 councillor Claudelle Chetty said: “It is an accident waiting to happen. I have e-mails from 2015 that were sent to the department. There have been no replies.” – Caxton News Service