Johannesburg - Pupils and teachers at Nancefield Primary School might soon find themselves without classes after a payment dispute between the construction company Thovu Construction and the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID).
The company thought its lawyers, Weavind and Weavind Attorneys, had yesterday threatened to remove the mobile units it had obtained through an agreement with Kwikspace Modular Buildings PTY after a series of failed meetings with the department.
However, the construction company and Kwikspace had not done so following a letter to the department dated September 26, 2023.
It is reported that the DID owes Thovu Construction R2 million for mobile class rentals stationed at Nancefield Primary School, one of the schools affected by the continued project abandonment by contractors.
“We refer to our letter dated September 20, 2023. It is our instruction that, after receiving our letter, you approached our client with a request for a virtual meeting to be held earlier today (September 26).
“This request was granted by our client. You have, however, failed to follow through with your commitment by postponing the said meeting to tomorrow (September 27). The aforesaid conduct demonstrates that you have no intention to resolve this current impasse on an amicable basis,” reads part of the letter.
The construction company has accused the department of failing to pay for the mobile structures after having earlier promised to do so and threatening collection this week.
“We further place on record that you have failed to meet our client’s demands as set out in our letter. We will now proceed with the collection of the units. In this regard, our client will be in direct contact with the school and GDID to make the necessary arrangements for the collection, starting with the pre-collection inspection to be held this week,” the lawyers said.
The DA, through its MP Sergio José Pombo Dos Santos, said the party is concerned about the possibility of pupils being unable to attend their classes due to the impasse between the department and the contractors.
“Learners and teachers will not have a proper school to return to when schools open for the fourth term because the contractor is threatening to remove the mobile classrooms due to non-payment,” Dos Santos said.
Last year, The Star reported that Nancefield Primary School was one of the schools affected by contractors abandoning construction in more than 20 Gauteng schools.
However, at the time, the Department of Infrastructure Development, which was contracted by the Gauteng Department of Education to oversee the R120 million construction of the Nancefield Primary School in Soweto, denied that the project had been abandoned midway through construction.
Ramos said Thovu Construction had already issued a notice to both the DID and Education Department, while Kwikspace had met with the SGB on the matter.
“The contractor has abandoned the project of building a brick and mortar structure at the school due to payment issues... Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi must account for the years of neglect of school infrastructure and failure to ensure that Nancefield Primary School is completed within the stipulated time frame,” the party said.
Spokesperson for the Department of Education, Steve Mabona, referred The Star to the DID as this is a matter between the contractors and the department, with the DID having not responded at the time of going to print.
GDID spokesperson Alfred Nhlapho said all the parties had resolved the issues that were affecting delivery of services at the Nancefield Primary School.
“The department has intervened in the interest of service delivery on a matter which was entirely a dispute between the main contractor and sub-contractor. A meeting was held with all parties today and the matters has been resolved,” Nhlapho said.
However, Dos Santos said the party will be writing to Gauteng provincial education MEC Matome Chiloane in a bid to get to the bottom of this matter.
“We demand that the MEC for education urgently liaise with the department of infrastructure to appoint a contractor to complete the abandoned schools and solve payment issues with the contractor,” he added.
The Star