Plans for new Manenberg primary school delayed
PLANS for the new Sonderend Primary School in Manenberg have been delayed because of the drought then Covid-19, the provincial education department said.
The school is on land earmarked for the Klipfontein Regional Hospital, which is set for completion in 2029.
The plan is to move the school to the location of an existing school that would be upgraded to accommodate more learners.
It forms part of the Manenberg Urban Upgrade, which the province in 2018 said would include a 594bed regional hospital; a school’s upgrade that will benefit four primary schools; and a new School of Skills for the Manenberg community and surrounds.
Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson Milicent Merton said: “The strategic brief allows for the establishment of a school for 1 240 learners, including Grade R learners. The building will include specialist classrooms (a multimedia centre, multipurpose classroom, science laboratory, resource classrooms and hall).”
The Cape Times previously reported that the expected completion date for the super school was 2022. Now construction is earmarked for late 2022/23.
“The commencement of the project was delayed because we had to reprioritise the infrastructure budget due to the drought (in 2018), Covid-19 and the general economic situation.
“The WCED will only be in a position to share the anticipated site handover and practical completion dates after the appointment and acceptance of contractors,” Merton said.
Former governing body representative and Hands Off Our Schools spokesperson Saadiya Daniels said as long as the children were staying at the current location the parents were happy.
“They sent us a letter to explain they are not going to throw down the school. They are going to build on a field next to the school. Our kids are not going to Edendale.
“We don’t want our kids going to Edendale because (it) is a ganginfested area. These children here are used to this area …”
Daniels added: “Kids here can’t enter that side because those down there belong to the Hard Livings (gang).
“The moment those kids go that side they get beaten up.
“We told the department all that. I have been living here for almost 40 years … we know our area. There have been gang fights happening since December – almost six months now; nobody can stop it.
“So parents don’t mind the delay; they are happy as long as their children are right here.”
She said that for now police were present when children had to attend school amid gang shootings.