Questions raised over R16.2m spent on North West primary school

Concerns have been raised over R16.2 million spent on repairs at Seshupo Primary School in Tshunyane village outside Mahikeng. According to The Citizen, parents, staff and community members say the visible work does not match the contract value and that some repairs may be inadequate.

Scope and cost under scrutiny

According to The Citizen, the North West department of education spent R16.2 million on renovations to Seshupo Primary School. The publication reports the contract was valued at R16.2 million, inclusive of a 10% management fee and value-added tax (VAT).

The Citizen says the department appointed a management consortium for the project in September 2025, citing an appointment letter signed by the department’s superintendent-general, Lengane Bogatsu.

Work done appears limited, community says

Parents, staff members, community leaders and people associated with the project, told The Citizen that the work carried out largely involved painting and the re-roofing of 13 classrooms using existing materials, with little new building work.

“My estimate is that the work delivered does not amount to more than R1.5 million, excluding labour,”

the project’s community liaison officer Plakie Buchere told The Citizen.

Contract schedule and what was delivered

The appointment letter seen by The Citizen contains a schedule allocating funds across blocks: R2.41 million to a four-classroom block, R2.96 million to a five-classroom block, R2.05 million to a three-classroom block, R497,311 for an administration block and R1.16 million for an existing Grade R classroom block.

The appointment schedule identifies four classroom blocks comprising 17 classrooms, but information obtained by The Citizen shows three main classroom blocks were renovated two with four classrooms and one with five totalling 13 classrooms.

Breakdown of listed costs

The Citizen reports the construction component included R1.09 million for preliminaries and R528,046 in provisional sums, producing a construction-related subtotal of R10.70 million. Other costs listed in the appointment included R22,529 for a community liaison officer, R128,739 for a social facilitator, R21,456 for a project steering committee, R1.52 million in professional fees, a R1.24 million management fee and R517,367 in contingencies, giving a subtotal of R14.1 million excluding VAT and R16.2 million including VAT.

Timeline and outstanding questions

Renovations, The Citizen reports, began on 8 August 2025 and ended on 31 May 2026. The publication says the key question now is what was actually delivered against the contract value.

Allegations about quality and safety

The Citizen reports allegations that damaged roofs were repaired using existing material, walls were painted after cracks were filled with some cracks reappearing, new vinyl flooring was installed over existing worn vinyl, and door handles became loose or fell off.

More serious allegations reported by The Citizen concern two classrooms in the five-classroom block that allegedly lack proper foundations. The publication quotes a worker saying a wall was wobbling as they worked, and community leader and former school governing body chair Mpho Gaediwe telling The Citizen:

“The walls of the two classrooms have no foundation, but the contractor filled the gaps with mortar and painted them. This is a disaster waiting to happen. What happened here is a grand heist.”

Department did not respond

According to The Citizen, Elias Malindi, the department spokesperson, did not respond to questions from the publication.

What remains clear

According to The Citizen, the documented contract value, the work reportedly carried out and the concerns voiced by community members and project staff present a series of unresolved questions about value for money and the safety of the renovations at Seshupo Primary School.