Maimane approaches public protector over ‘swamp school’ in Tembisa
One South Africa Movement leader Mmusi Maimane has written to the Office of the Public Protector to request an investigation into a R82 million school in Tembisa.
Mayibuye Primary School was set to open its doors in 2019 but the state-of-the-art school remains closed due to concerns over safety.
Recent media reports exposed major flaws in the R82 million project.
Maimane says he’s dismayed but not surprised at the misuse of resources by government.
“Here we sit with a school that has been built on potentially what is a wetland furthermore, it is clear that infrastructure is sitting there not really being able to be used and we’re calling on an investigation by the public protector as to what the culpability of government is, who is responsible for the R82 million that was wasted in the contract.
“All we seek to ensure is that there is proper schooling for children in Tembisa and that those who are responsible for wasting South Africa’s money can be held accountable.”
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Maimane says the case of the Mayibuye school is not unique.
“We’ve seen all of these incidents take place in many provinces where effectively tenders are issued out for schooling and that schooling ends up with literally poor infrastructure and an inflation of costs and the quality of education is not improving.”
He says the timeline for the investigation is not yet clear.
Earlier this year, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) also launched its own investigations into the unused school.