Construction at Klipspringer Primary School is ongoing, despite a snag hit with the zoning of a new portion of land acquired to expand the overcrowded school.

Lowvelder reported in May that the school governing body (SGB) and parents threatened to keep the children at home until the provincial Department of Education intervened, citing safety fears concerning some of the structures.

They demanded additional classrooms be built and renovations be done on roof slabs. According to the SGB about 781 learners were cramped into classrooms with a 180-pupil capacity.

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Since then an additional property has been purchased and earmarked for the construction of a grade R centre.

The land is currently zoned for residential use. The land use application and approval process is anticipated to take no more than four months.

The Department of Education said the rezoning will not affect the construction schedule.

Department spokesman, Jasper Zwane said the rezoning issue does not have an effect on the construction at the school, as the plan is scheduled in such a way that it will accommodate the time required to finalise the land use issues before commencement with the construction of the grade R facilities.

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“At the present moment it is not envisaged that this will affect the construction programme. Klipspringer Primary School is zoned for educational use. There is a residential plot of land purchased by the school which now must be incorporated to the school site.”

He added that a block of classrooms with a roof slab will be demolished and replaced in its entirety, to avoid any effect of structural redundancy caused by the installation of the slab.

According to Zwane, the effect on the budget will be determined by the engineers. “Currently the department has not received any variation order and therefore is not in a position to confirm budget changes,” he said.

The Westergloed NG Kerk Nelspruit is currently accommodating some of the learners from the school, since they do not have enough space due to the construction.