Construction of a R45m Eastern Cape school has stalled, after the company that is building it downed tools following non-payment from the Coega Development Corporation.
About 400 Eastern Cape pupils are also at high risk, as the zinc structures that are meant to be their temporary classrooms were left half-built when the company abandoned the site on Tuesday.
Thongani Junior Secondary School, in Nkanya village, Ellliotdale, was one of the lucky schools earmarked for a state-of-the-art building.
Coega gave the contract to Simunye Contractors to build eight classrooms, a media centre, library, nutrition centre and administration block.
This saw all the pupils being moved to temporary structures, while construction of the new building got going.
But Simunye CEO Xolela Nyathela said Coega had not settled a single claim since they started the project in May by building three blocks of temporary classrooms.
The deal was that every month there would be payment for services rendered – but this had not happened, Nyathela said.
“They owe us more than R2.3m. These people want to see us close shop. We had to tell 24 contract workers from this community not to report for duty this week because we won’t have money to pay their salaries,” said Nyathela.
He said Coega claimed that “they have yet to get funding from the provincial department of education. We do not know which is which.”
Education department spokesperson Loyiso Pulumani confirmed contracting Coega “to be our implementing agent for some of our school building programme, including the R2.6m Thangeni JSS project”.
“Coega has separately entered into a contract with Simunye.
“As a rule and principle, Coega is obligated to monitor and remunerate the contractor for all work done.
“Only once they [Coega] have satisfied themselves that the work has been satisfactorily done can they submit claims to the department.
“It is unacceptable for Coega to abdicate their responsibilities towards contractors and refer their own contractors to the department,” he said.
While no one seems to want to take responsibility for the non-payment, the 28 local workers who were sent home are feeling the pinch.
Among them was Lindelwa Bambaliphi, 28, who got a job as a safety officer last month.
“I dumped my job as a hair stylist, knowing full well that this was a better job, but now this?” said Bambaliphi.
A delegation led by headman Ntabenzima Dyeshana, the traditional head of the area, visited the department of education in Zwelitsha on Monday, to seek an amicable solution to the crisis.
Thongani School Governing Body chairperson Chumile Gqwetani, who was part of the delegation, said the half-built corrugated iron structures were a safety risk for pupils.
Gqwetani said: “We have knocked at ever door to try and force Coega and the education department to pay this company, but without luck.”
Blame game as school building stalls
No payment for workers, temporary structures not completed
Construction of a R45m Eastern Cape school has stalled, after the company that is building it downed tools following non-payment from the Coega Development Corporation.
About 400 Eastern Cape pupils are also at high risk, as the zinc structures that are meant to be their temporary classrooms were left half-built when the company abandoned the site on Tuesday.
Thongani Junior Secondary School, in Nkanya village, Ellliotdale, was one of the lucky schools earmarked for a state-of-the-art building.
Coega gave the contract to Simunye Contractors to build eight classrooms, a media centre, library, nutrition centre and administration block.
This saw all the pupils being moved to temporary structures, while construction of the new building got going.
But Simunye CEO Xolela Nyathela said Coega had not settled a single claim since they started the project in May by building three blocks of temporary classrooms.
The deal was that every month there would be payment for services rendered – but this had not happened, Nyathela said.
“They owe us more than R2.3m. These people want to see us close shop. We had to tell 24 contract workers from this community not to report for duty this week because we won’t have money to pay their salaries,” said Nyathela.
He said Coega claimed that “they have yet to get funding from the provincial department of education. We do not know which is which.”
Education department spokesperson Loyiso Pulumani confirmed contracting Coega “to be our implementing agent for some of our school building programme, including the R2.6m Thangeni JSS project”.
“Coega has separately entered into a contract with Simunye.
“As a rule and principle, Coega is obligated to monitor and remunerate the contractor for all work done.
“Only once they [Coega] have satisfied themselves that the work has been satisfactorily done can they submit claims to the department.
“It is unacceptable for Coega to abdicate their responsibilities towards contractors and refer their own contractors to the department,” he said.
While no one seems to want to take responsibility for the non-payment, the 28 local workers who were sent home are feeling the pinch.
Among them was Lindelwa Bambaliphi, 28, who got a job as a safety officer last month.
“I dumped my job as a hair stylist, knowing full well that this was a better job, but now this?” said Bambaliphi.
A delegation led by headman Ntabenzima Dyeshana, the traditional head of the area, visited the department of education in Zwelitsha on Monday, to seek an amicable solution to the crisis.
Thongani School Governing Body chairperson Chumile Gqwetani, who was part of the delegation, said the half-built corrugated iron structures were a safety risk for pupils.
Gqwetani said: “We have knocked at ever door to try and force Coega and the education department to pay this company, but without luck.”
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