Last Saturday, several schools in Gert Sibande and Nkangala District Municipalities were damaged by strong winds.

“We are concerned that these schools will now have to wait to be fixed, alongside 72 other schools who were also damaged by storms over past years.”

According to the Mpumalanga Department of Education’s first quarter report, they have only spent 18 per cent of their infrastructure grant for the current financial year. This shows the department is not serious about fixing schools damaged by natural disasters.

Of the 20 targets set for this quarter, the department was unable to meet 11, showing delays in all current projects.

To make matters worse, if the department continues on this path, Mpumalanga will once again have to surrender money back to the treasury as was the case in the past financial year.

“Mpumalanga schools and its learners cannot afford to lose any more money, as many schools are in dire need of maintenance, refurbishment, as well as new schools.

“Too many learners in various schools are subject to disruptions due to unsafe structures, such is the case at Lamulelani High School, Edwaleni Primary School, as well as many other schools across the province.

“On the next legislature sitting, the DA will engage MEC Bonakele Majuba on this matter. He needs to explain why the department is failing to spend its infrastructure grant while we have many schools damaged by natural disasters. As the Political Head of the Mpumalanga Department of Education, the MEC also needs to tell the house what he is doing to assist with this issue.”