Enough of this incompetence

The department of public works is allegedly responsible for the repair and erection of schools and as such responsible for ensuring that our learners are adequately housed in order to receive an education.

Are they succeeding in this regard? Has their performance been assessed to see if they are delivering on this important mandate? Are the senior staff (director-generals, senior managers and ministers for these respective departments) being called to book for the slew of failures and non-delivery? Does our government care?

Since 2014, we’ve seen a number of public works programmes grind to a halt or abandoned. The likes of Jubilee Park (Uitenhage), Rufane Donkin (Gelvandale) Bethelsdorp High (Gelvandale) and of late David Livingstone High were all left with empty promises, incomplete buildings, contractors unpaid and learners left guessing what their futures hold.

Is it just coincidental that all of these schools are within the same communities? That the parents and communities have been patient is commendable. Can they be expected to do so any further? NO!

The incompetence and lack of consequences for those involved leaves one wondering how we are able to allow such incompetence within the administration of government.

Even stranger is that such staff (who fail us) are still paid from R726,276 to R2.4m a year for a minister. They are even

How long can this mismanagement be tolerated?

rewarded with increases. How is it possible that someone cannot be held accountable when the director-general, who has the responsibility to see that those within the department do their work and deliver on their mandate, still gets paid a salary of R1.570m, and a raise, and there are no consequences for the failures that seem to be synonymous with government work/development?

The losses resulting from these failures, vandalism and theft that these abandoned projects are subject to is not even taken into account.

Of the harm inflicted on learners and the possible damage to their education, one cannot even imagine. How long can these financial losses and mismanagement be tolerated? When will enough be enough?

I shudder to think that for some this does not even raise a concern or an investigation, yet the governing party will have the gall to campaign for votes in these areas.

That these communities have been abandoned and scant regard given to their concerns and future is plain to see in the way they are treated, both at local government level and provincial level. Voting fodder seems to be all they are good for.

Abdoelaziez Madatt, via e-mail