Contractor locks classrooms as state drags heels with payment
Temporary classrooms at Mcheni Primary School in Tsolo have been locked by a contractor after the provincial department of education failed to pay him.
This is the same school where more than 200 pupils had to attend class outdoors for the better part of 2019 because the mud and shack classrooms built by parents in 1994 had collapsed.
A state-of-the-art building built at a cost of R17m lies in ruins on the site.
But Mcheni’s woes continue. Grade 7 pupils have not set foot in class since the contractor padlocked two classrooms and a staff room on July 7 — a month after the first batch of pupils returned to school under eased lockdown conditions.
Study materials are also locked inside the classroom and teachers have no access to it.
The contractor, Lungile Skenjana of Develex 302 cc, said on Tuesday he understood the pupils’ plight, but he wanted what was owed to him. The department of basic education told the Dispatch that the matter had been resolved.
Skenjana said he was owed about R3.5m, including overheads for workers.
Now parents fear they may be forced to continue the “unsafe outdoor schooling” if Skenjana does not open the doors again.
School governing body chair Mzimeli Yelo said they had made an arrangement with the contractor to open the classes in June.
They were using the old shacks that parents had repaired. But then schools closed in March because of Covid-19.
“Those shacks were blown away and we asked the contractor for shelter,” Yelo said.
“Three classrooms were released for use, two for Grade 7 and another used as a staff room. The contractor came and locked the door and said he was still owed money and he wanted it.
“We are not saying it’s right that he is not paid his money. But he did not say anything to us,” he said.
“We don’t want our children not to study. They are staying home and the Grade 6s could not return as well. They are left behind now. They were happy to get the temporary classrooms and this is a setback for them mentally.”
He said they all want a solution to be found.
Skenjana said he was also owed money by the department for another school project in Lusikisiki.
“I was employed there to put up the structures for seven months in November 2017. I am still doing that school, three years later. The reason for that is non-payment. We work and the government takes eight months to pay us. We invoiced in March and we have not been paid,” he said.
“The community approached us asking for a shelter because they had no school and we did that.
“Seemingly no one sees that we have been suffering. I have been getting empty promises. I have overheads of R2.1m.
“Nine classes and toilets are up now. I am losing money instead. I have to pay the workers, including the caretakers. The officials don’t care. We can’t be sacrificed for other people’s mistakes.”
Department of basic education infrastructure spokesperson Albert Gumbo said the department was aware of the situation.
“The matter was resolved. The classrooms have been handed over to the school but the school is intimidated into not opening them. There is a due payment that arrived at the Eastern Cape department of education on June 26. He is in the process of being paid,” he said.
Provincial education spokesperson Loyiso Pulumani had not responded to queries at the time of writing.