VANDERBIJLPARK. –  Covid 19 lockdown restrictions, discrepancies between the contract data and the actual scope of work are amongst the reasons given by the Department of Infrastructure Development and Property Management for the delay in finishing the refurbishment project at the Frikkie Meyer Primary School in Vanderbijlpark.

Sedibeng Ster reported yesterday that the R34 million project that was meant to have been completed within 12 months was said to be nowhere near completion at the school. It was said that huge chunks of learning, and teaching time, have been lost because the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) had failed to complete the project which was supposed to have taken a year to finish, the project is now in its 18th month.

Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development and Property Management does not dispute the delay but attributes this to amongst other things, the Covid 19 lockdown restrictions, discrepancies between the contract data and actual scope of work, performance which has been addressed through the contract conditions and stoppages by subcontractors.

“As part of the decanting plan, the school hall is being used as a staff room as part of temporary accommodation because the entire facility needs to be operational whilst construction activities were being carried in phases out in the respective location(s),” said Bongiwe Gambu, the Spokesperson for the Department of Infrastructure Development and Property Management.