Town planner allegedly fails Klipspringer Primary

MBOMBELA – Puledi Projects Town Planners is responsible for rezoning the land earmarked for the grade R centre, but the process was not done properly. Catherine Mokoena, the school governing body (SGB) chairperson, said Klipspringer Primary will not take any grade R learners next year if the project is not complete. The initiative was partially handed over to the school on Monday, but the centre for grade R classrooms has not been constructed as the land earmarked for it is zoned for residential use. “Our grade R classrooms were demolished and we will not have any space for new intakes. This will not only affect Klipspringer, it will affect the entire Mbombela.

“We have received applications, however, we do not have space. If Klipspringer cannot take any learners, which schools will be able to accommodate them? I foresee a dramatic year since local schools are facing space challenges due to the town growing so quickly,” she explained. Mokoena added that all this could have been avoided if the town planner had done its job properly. In May 2019 the SGB and parents threatened to keep the children home indefinitely if the Mpumalanga Department of Education did not urgently intervene.

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The school was severely overcrowded with about 781 learners, but only actually has a capacity for 180 pupils. In September the SGB raised its concern about the portion of the land that needs to be rezoned. The department said it will not affect the project. It also said the approval process is anticipated to take no more than four months.

“The public-participation process notice was not done properly. A notice in a newspaper it is supposed to be in two different languages and in the same newspaper, however, this was not the case in this rezoning process. The English version was published around June and then in August an Afrikaans one was published. This came to light when we approached the municipality and Puledi Projects had said the problem is with the municipality. We also do not understand why they chose a company from Gauteng and not a local one,” she explained.

Mokoena added that they appreciate the construction of six new classrooms in a double-storey building, the two blocks of toilets and the roof that was replaced to make the four affected classrooms usable. She said it is very unfortunate that they have to make the decision not to enroll any grade Rs in 2021.

When Lowvelder contacted Phuti Mokobane of Puledi Projects Town Planners, he said he is not aware that the area is earmarked for grade R classrooms.

“I was appointed in January and according to my knowledge, the land is for a library. When I was appointed I started the necessary procedures, however Covid-19 delayed it. I had planned to submit in March, if I had to redo this I would still unfortunately be delayed due to the pandemic. I am aware that the adverts were not placed at the same time, but I had challenges with the Afrikaans version hence they appeared in different months,” he said.

The process was finalised on September 30, but it is unclear when will the construction process of the grade R centre begin. As published in the provincial gazette, dated February 14, 2020, Mbombela by-laws state, “Notice of the application must be given by simultaneously, (a) publishing a notice of the application in a local newspaper with a general circulation in the area concerned in at least two official languages as determined by the municipality”.

Johann du Preez of Kruger and Partners Inc said, “The Mbombela by-law 90(2) (a) states that it is imperative that the advertising process must be done in two official languages. If not done, the application process is null and void.” 

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