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R955 Million Spent, No Class in Sight: Seven Gauteng Schools Still Unfinished

Published

3 weeks ago

August 13, 2025

Chiraag

Gauteng incomplete schools, R955 million school delays, Matome Chiloane update, Jacob Mamabolo infrastructure, Sergio dos Santos criticism, Vlakfontein shipping container classrooms, Refithlile Pele Primary delay, Thabotana Farm School stalled, Simunye Secondary unfinished, Joburg ETC

R955 Million Spent, but Classrooms Still Stand Empty in Gauteng

In Gauteng, where the promise of education often collides with the reality of delivery, seven school construction projects worth a staggering R955.9 million remain unfinished. Some have been in progress for over four years, yet not a single pupil or teacher has set foot inside their intended classrooms.

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) revealed the figures to the provincial legislature, answering questions from the Democratic Alliance. Signed off by Education MEC Matome Chiloane, the update painted a picture of stalled sites, empty shells, and thousands of learners left in limbo.

A Province Building on Broken Promises

From the outside, the numbers alone are shocking, but the stories behind them are even more telling. The most striking example is Inkululeko yeSizwe Primary School near Vlakfontein. Construction began in late 2020 with a R137 million budget, yet today it remains a bare structure surrounded by weeds. Pupils there still study inside cramped, repurposed shipping containers.

The GDE cited repeated disruptions from the local community and SMME disputes, alongside a contractor struggling with cash flow, slow site progress, late material deliveries, and broken equipment. Eventually, the provincial infrastructure department moved to terminate both the contractor and the project’s personal service provider.

Other Schools, Same Story

The list of delays reads like a catalogue of halted dreams:

Refithlile Pele Primary began in September 2022 and is 87% complete.
Thabotana Farm School near Heidelberg started in 2024 with a R160 million budget, but work stalled after the contractor was dismissed.
Simunye Secondary near Randfontein has reached only 66% completion since 2021 despite R123 million already spent, with its contractor also facing termination.
Rust Ter Vaal Secondary near Vereeniging is lagging behind due to poor contractor performance and municipal delays over power connection.
Semphato Combined Secondary in Soshanguve and Dr WK Du Plessis LSEN near Springs, both begun in 2021, are nearing the finish line at 92% and 97% completion, respectively, with a combined price tag of R378 million.

Who Is Being Held Accountable?

For opposition politicians like DA Gauteng education shadow MEC Sergio dos Santos, the delays amount to yet another broken promise to the province’s children. “Our children cannot afford any more broken promises. It is time to put them first and hold this government to account for every single incomplete school building across Gauteng,” he said.

Yet according to MEC Chiloane, no departmental officials have faced disciplinary hearings because the delays are not linked to staff underperformance. Instead, underperforming contractors and service providers have been “put on terms” or replaced.

A New Leadership, New Promises

The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development, responsible for these projects, has seen a leadership shake-up. MEC Jacob Mamabolo recently welcomed former education head Rufus Mmutlana as the new head of department. Both have pledged to improve project tracking through an in-house management system.

Mamabolo was blunt about the stakes: “If we don’t deliver these productive assets to the people, we will not improve their quality of life, and we will not grow the economy.”

Why It Matters

These delays go beyond brick and mortar. Every month a project stands still is another month pupils are crammed into makeshift classrooms, learning in conditions that undermine the very education the province promises to improve. In communities where unemployment, crime, and inequality already cast long shadows, a completed school can be more than a building; it can be a sign that the future is still worth investing in.