R82 MILLION AND 7 YEARS LATER: SCHOOL NOT OPENED

Imagine waiting seven (7) years for a promise to come true, only to be left with empty hopes. This is the sad story of Mayibuye Primary School in Tembisa, a school that’s been built but never used.

Back in 2017, people were told about a brand new school coming to Tembisa. Mayibuye Primary School was supposed to be a place of great learning. It was to cost the Gauteng Government over R82 million, a lot of money to make it wonderful. The hope was that it would give kids a bright future.

Seven years later, the school stands there, all alone. No students have ever been inside its classrooms. It’s like a dream that never came true, and it’s very frustrating for the people.

The Gauteng portfolio committee on Infrastructure visited the school on Wednesday, November 8 2023, to figure things out. They were in for a smelly surprise.

The school, which was supposed to be a place of learning, is in terrible shape. The ground around the school is often flooded, and sewage is everywhere. It’s not safe for kids to go there, so the City of Ekurhuleni has not deemed it safe for occupancy.

Bones Modise, Chairperson of the Gauteng Portfolio Committee on Infrastructure Development, has blamed shoddy contractors, “business mafias” and corrupt government officials for the delays in completing the Mayibuye Primary School.

When the school was first planned, it was meant to cater for 1200 kids. Right now, they’re not going to school there. Instead, they’re using temporary classroom containers nearby.

Modise hopes the school will be ready in 2024, but there are still many problems to solve. The community is holding onto the dream of Mayibuye Primary School and hoping it will open its doors to kids soon.