Transnet washes hands of Safa's shoddy School of Excellence

Transnet has pulled the plug on its partnership with Safa's School of Excellence

The parastatal, which co-founded the academy with Safa in 1994, cites its inability to get the association's previous administration to make a contribution consistent with their responsibilities as the reason for the withdrawal.

Transnet feels that "our continued involvement in the academy is a reputation risk for the company".

John Dludlu, spokesman for Transnet, says: "We have tried in vain to ensure that the partnership with Safa is functional and works in the interests of the learners.

"Regrettably, Transnet has concluded that its efforts and good intentions alone are insufficient conditions for reviving the fortunes of the academy.

"We've even had to make provision for football apparel for the learners, because Safa and or its technical supplier would not attend even to this.And, accordingly, the company has advised Safa of its decision to withdraw from the partnership," he said.

"To assist Safa in the pursuit of its new-found enthusiasm to the school, Transnet has agreed to make available the Elandsfontein land and facility, where the academy is situated, to the Trust responsible for the governance of the school. We have encouraged Safa to find new sponsors for the school."

Safa has identified the academy as its flagship development programme.

To this end it has applied to Fifa for financial assistance through the Goal project.

Dennis Mumble, the Safa head of strategic planning and development, admits that Safa is responsible for the neglect of the school.

"Transnet stuck in there and did well to keep the place afloat over the years even when there was little engagement from us.

"The priority was to reconstitute the board to provide solid leadership because we recognise that the source of the problems was the virtual disintegration of the board.

"We want to go back to heaven with the school. Our strategy will restore it to being the pride of the nation," he said.

Despite the withdrawal, Transnet is not leaving the project in jeopardy and has made a commitment to the new Safa administration.

Safa has a four-point intervention plan: academic, football, psychological environment and physical infrastructure.

Academic

The school has seven teachers for 112 learners. It obtained a matric pass rate of 26.3% last year.

Transnet has concluded the process of the appointment of the new principal and confirmed three potential candidates.

"The department of education will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the academic programme. They will provide the necessary learning equipment, bolster the teaching personnel," said Mumble.

Part of strengthening the academic support system will include a library with Internet connectivity and adding more computers to the 20 in the computer laboratory.

Football

Elevating the institution to a world-class centre of excellence will cost R80-million. But Safa has applied for Fifa's Goal project funding, which gives an annual amount of R3.5-million.

The money will be used to upgrade the gym (which has been unused for five years), administration and coaches' block, kitchen, fields and dormitories.

Safa wants to increase the number of coaches from four to seven, which will reduce the coach-player ratio from one to 28 to one to 16.

Psychological Environment

"The heads of these kids are not in a good space. The same for the teachers," said Mumble.

"What do they do when they are not in class or playing football? It means they start getting naughty ideas, and breeding criminals is not our business."

In a bid to improve the recreational environment, SuperSport United has donated three large plasma TV sets. The department of sport and recreation has committed table tennis and pool tables. The 2010 Legacy department will provide a psychologist as well as establishing a medical centre.

Physical Infrastructure

Dludlu said: "Transnet Limited, through its corporate social investment arm - the Transnet Foundation - has attended to the recruitment of the relevant expertise for the renovation of the premises of the Transnet/ Safa School of Excellence, raising the required funds and project management. The renovations are being implemented in phases. The first phase, which includes dormitories and bathrooms, will be complete around April or May this year."

Transnet has prioritised painting or in some cases replacing the window panels, gutters, downpipes, bargeboard, roof sheeting and all walls.

Carpets will be replaced with tiles. Attention will be give to the deteriorating interior.