Construction mafia accused of delaying building of Joburg school

Parents in Eldorado Park in Johannesburg want an official probe into delays in the rebuilding of Nancefield Primary School. They say a construction “mafia” is delaying the project, which has been stalled for years.

Nancefield Primary School, which used unsafe asbestos material, was one of several schools earmarked to be rebuilt in Eldorado Park. Students were moved to mobile classes in 2018 and the rebuilding project was launched in 2019, with a budget of R96-million, according to Preventine Webster, who has children at the school and is on the school’s project steering committee.

Clear Choice Builders was appointed as contractor.

Six years later, the school is still far from being finished, though more than R56-million has already been spent, according to Theo Nkonki, spokesperson for the MEC of the Gauteng’s infrastructure development department.

Praylene van Reenen, chairperson of the school governing body (SGB), says that last year parents shut the school for a day, demanding the department explain the delays.

Van Reenen said the department then inspected the contractor’s work and found that some buildings were built incorrectly and had to be demolished before work could recommence.

The project resumed in August this year, but parents and residents say a “construction mafia” is interfering and is in cahoots with some local councillors.

Ward committee member Petunia Bailey said she wrote to the Presidency, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, the Special Investigating Unit, and the National Prosecuting Authority, demanding a probe into the construction of the school.

“There have been a number of projects in the community where interference by the construction mafia or community business forums has caused more problems, resulting in delays. We feel that the government should intervene to ensure transparency in our community projects, including the Nancefield Primary School project,” she said.

But Charis Pretorius, from the organisation Coloured Lives Matter Too, said there was no construction mafia, only a group of community businesses “compelled to fight” for a share in the project. “Most of the contractors involved in community projects are coming from outside and this is causing frustrations among qualified business people in our community,” said Pretorius.

Ward councillor Juwairiya Kaldine (PA) said she was not aware of any interference. She urged those who claimed there was a construction mafia to go to the police.

Kaldine said the provincial infrastructure department had committed to finishing the school in 12 months (September 2025).

“We will ensure we keep everyone accountable so children can return to school as this is about the kids and not politics,” she said.

Meanwhile parents and SGB members say they are tired of waiting for the project to be completed while their children are taught in mobile classrooms which were supposed to be temporary when they were installed in 2018.

“Mobile classes expose our children to extreme weather conditions. When it’s hot, they are extremely hot and when it’s cold, they are extremely cold. Our children have been asking us when the school will be finished but we have not been able to give them answers,” said Van Reenen.

Webster said he is disappointed in the delays. “As parents, we expect the project to be completed within the specified time, which is September 2025,” he said.

Nkonki said he was not aware of any interference by a construction mafia or small businesses in the project. He said the first contractor had encountered cash flow problems and had not been able to continue, and so the contract had been terminated in January 2022, after R56-million had been paid. He said R87-million had been allocated for the continuation of the project.

A new team had been appointed to prepare procurement documents. “This documentation required approval from the Gauteng Department of Education, contributing to delays. However, the tender process has since been completed and a new contractor has been appointed,” said Nkonki.

This article was first published on GroundUp