It may only be in 2025 when Nancefield primary school will finally be completed and reopened for teaching and learning if all goes to plan.
That's what the Gauteng department of infrastructure development is hoping when it appointed a new contractor to commence work this week, more than five years after construction started and nearly two years after the school was meant to reopen.
Construction on the Soweto school started in July 2019 after the old structure was demolished because it was built with asbestos, which was banned in 2008.
The school reconstruction project, however, stalled in 2022 when the initial contractor was axed for non-performance.
The original contract price for the school was R95.7m, and R55.9m was spent on construction before it stalled, TimesLIVE Premium reported last year.
A further R87.9m is needed to complete the school, the publication said at the time.
Schooling for about 1,100 pupils currently takes place in mobile units on the adjacent property.
Parents complained bitterly about the continued delays, claiming the abandoned project had now become a dumping site.
The department’s Victor Moreriane told TimesLIVE Premium: “The procurement process for a new contractor the school's construction has been completed. We have finalised contract alignment and checks.
“We are currently in the final stages of contract signing. Once the contractor has signed, we will proceed immediately with the site handover. We anticipate project completion within 12 months after the site handover to the new contractor.”
Moreriane blamed construction delays on “substandard” work by the previous contractor as well as community disruptions.
He confirmed there has only been one construction contractor on the project.
Moreriane said the following measures would be implemented to ensure the project remains on track:
- A more rigorous evaluation and monitoring process to detect and address issues proactively
- Increased engagement with the community to ensure stakeholder buy-in and minimise disruptions
- Strict oversight of the new contractor's work to maintain quality standards
Moreriane acknowledged the department's ongoing challenges with sourcing reliable contractors for school projects.
In July, the department came under fire after more delays in the completion of a new state-of-the-art secondary school in Bekkersdal.
Simunye Secondary School was meant to be completed in October 2023, but this has been marred by several delays, largely due to poor performance on the part of the contractor.
The department at the time confirmed the contractor had asked for another chance despite missing two deadlines to complete the R120m “smart” school project.
“We acknowledge the challenges and have taken steps to improve our contractor selection process. We remain committed to delivering high-quality educational infrastructure and will closely monitor the project's progress to ensure its timely completion,” Moreriane said on the ongoing challenges.
In July, it was reported that nationally, a total of 3,912 schools, including 1,538 in Eastern Cape, have one or more structures with asbestos, according to a response given by the department of basic education to Equal Education (EE) after its Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) request.
The department also told EE that 962 schools in KwaZulu-Natal, 562 in Limpopo and 405 in North West have one or more structures with asbestos.
In November, GroundUp reported 29 Gauteng schools built with asbestos were identified for replacement in 2015, but only four have been replaced.
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