The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng demands that the Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, urgently engage with the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development to complete the many long-overdue school infrastructure projects in our province, with Inkululeko Yesizwe Primary School in Vlakfontein, Johannesburg, standing out as a shocking example of how badly Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s government is failing our learners.
According to written replies to the DA’s questions from MEC Chiloane, construction at Inkululeko Yesizwe has been incomplete for years, with work barely past the halfway mark despite the project commencing in 2020. R135 million was allocated to the project, which remains incomplete. Learners are being taught in old and dilapidated container classrooms.
To make matters worse, there are allegations that the ANC Joburg former Chief Whip, Cllr Sitembiso Zungu, was recently appointed as the new MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services (GCSS) despite his alleged links to the “Construction Mafia”, where it is alleged that a “facilitation fee” from the contractor was demanded. We will also table a question to MEC to ascertain whether these allegations are true. Should it be found that the MMC is implicated, we will not hesitate to open a criminal case against him and question his recent appointment.
This is not an isolated case. Replies from the MEC show numerous other school projects across Gauteng that are stalled, years behind schedule and plagued by poor project management. These delays mean learners are left in unsafe, temporary structures or crammed into overcrowded classrooms year after year. This denies learners the opportunity to be taught in a conducive environment and the delivery of quality education.
A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would not allow this to happen. We would ensure proper project management from day one and ensure that schools are built on time. We would prioritise the completion of every project, appoint competent and accountable contractors, and enforce strict oversight to prevent corruption or political interference. We would also adopt a rapid-build programme, like the successful model in the DA-led Western Cape government, to deliver safe, quality school infrastructure without the endless delays that have become the norm under Premier Lesufi’s government.
Our children cannot afford any more broken promises. It is time to put them first and hold this government to account for every single incomplete school building across Gauteng.