Secondary school in Ikageng still a white elephant

After three years, a proposed new Secondary School in Sarafina, Ikageng, is yet to be officially opened, leaving community members angered and frustrated.

This school was announced in November 2020 at a cost of approximately R68 million. Since then, sections of the school have been completed, but there are still various challenges.

Tshepo Chempe, one of the community members who was involved in the construction of the school as an SMME, says the school has not opened yet because of various safety challenges.

“The walls of the school are cracked inside and is not safe for learners. Now the school is standing still. No official date has been given for the opening of the school. We, as the community, need answers on why we are still waiting after over five years. We received numerous promises, but there is no progress to date,” stated Chempe.

The North West Department of Education announced the construction of this school in Sarafina with a sod turning ceremony on Wednesday, 26 November 2020. The MEC of Education at the time, Wendy Matsemela, attended.

The main goal, according to the NW Department of Education, was to overcome the problems of overcrowded classrooms and the increased demand for schooling in the area.

The construction of the school should have given hope to young minds in the area, but instead, it has caused heartache for parents, especially Tsekiso Motiti, who lost his son in a tragic accident.

During the building process, pit holes were dug to access G5 soil for the construction of the school. These holes were not covered and claimed the life of Tsekiso, an 8-year-old who drowned in the hole in January this year.

“I want to know why this school is not being used. This school that killed my son; why is it not being used to help our kids?” Tsekiso stated in a previous interview with the Herald.

According to Chempe, sections of the G5 soil were also stolen during the construction process.

 “It is a sad situation. As a community, we need to stand up and ask questions. The only way we can better the youth is through education. But how can they be educated if government can’t deliver on their promises? After 30 years of freedom, how can we have this dilemma? It is inhumane,” added Chempe.

Chempe also said the North West Department of Education did not attend a gathering scheduled for 30 November to receive a memorandum from the community.

“We had massive attendance, but the department did not show up. It shows that they can’t be held accountable,” he added.

 *The Herald sent an enquiry to the North West Department of Education, but did not receive feedback by the time of print.