President Jacob Zuma visited the first completed school of 49 Eastern Cape mud schools set to be refurbished on Tuesday, the presidency said.

"Forty nine schools are changing from mud to solid structures and being provided with sanitation, water and electricity," said presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj.

He said Zuma had visited Mphathiswa Senior Primary, which had completed the transformation from a mud structure.

Maharaj said that besides transforming the 49 mud schools located in Libode, Lusikisiki and Mthatha, the government also planned to provide 190 other schools with electricity, 237 with sanitation and 173 with water.

Maharaj said another transformed former mud school was also being launched in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday.

The 49 school sites were handed to contractors in January.

Maharaj could not give details of when the R675 million construction project would be completed.

In opening the new school, Zuma said teachers needed to be punctual and to teach for at least seven hours a day.

"We cannot meet our target of 100 percent enrolment for 2014 while we do not have proper schools and qualified teachers."

He also invited people from the community to use the schools for other occasions.

"Use them after hours, for social, cultural, religious or sporting activities." he said.