More than four years after the building project for Dome Combined School in Parys was handed over to the contractor, temporary classrooms have still not given way to the dream of a proper playground, sports fields, and a school hall for learners, reports Parys Gazette.

Despite earlier expectations that learners could move into the new school premises by the end of October, neither the Free State Department of Education nor the provincial Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has indicated when the school building will be completed.

October handover deadline missed

In August it was revealed that the R90.8m building contract was 88% complete when the Deputy Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Sihle Zikalala, accompanied by the Free State MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure, Dibolelo Mance, visited the construction site in Fourth Avenue.

The department indicated at that time that the handover would take place on October 21.

The project originally had a 20-month completion timeframe and was scheduled to be completed by June 2024, with the contractor, White Leopard, beginning work in August 2022.

Various challenges delay project

The new school building consists of 24 classrooms, three Grade R classrooms, computer laboratories, a media centre, an administration block, a multi-purpose hall, a kitchen, a tuck shop, ablution facilities for learners and staff, and offices for heads of departments.

By August 81.47% of the contract sum had been spent. The project has experienced delays in the past due to various challenges, including delays in payments to the contractor.

During the oversight visit two months ago, it was reported that the outstanding work included the internal finishes of the hall and computer laboratories, the installation of kitchen equipment, a water tank and pumping system, the installation of a mini-substation, and the fitting of door hinges.

During a previous oversight visit in 2025, Mance urged contractors and departments to intensify their efforts to complete infrastructure projects on time, saying communities deserved prompt and efficient service delivery.

She also emphasised the importance of accountability and urgency in delivering projects to client departments, promising to keep the project on her radar.

Initial school premises deemed too expensive

The land on which the school is currently situated was zoned for educational purposes as far back as the 1970s. The mobile classrooms were intended as a temporary measure, and a permanent structure has been needed for many years.

In 2020, engineers visited the school premises and confirmed that the clay soil and wetland would make preparing the site and constructing the school too expensive.

After taking safety and cost considerations into account, the decision was made to build the school on the premises in Fourth Avenue.

The new school premises are situated on municipal land earmarked for the construction of the school as a joint project between the Department of Education and the Department of Public Works.

Parys Gazette reached out to both departments for a response. Comment will be published when received.

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