Public Protector finds foul play in construction of Tembisa’s R82m Mayibuye Primary School

JOHANNESBURG - The Public Protector has found wrongdoing in the construction of the R82 million Mayibuye Primary School in Tembisa.

The office said the school was built near a wetland without the necessary environmental authorisation.

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A report by the Chapter 9 institution has found that the school is within 500 meters of an area saturated with water, which means it requires water use authorisation from the Department of Water and Sanitation prior to construction.

The Public Protector’s report said a specialist wetland study on Mayibuye Primary School was only commissioned by the Gauteng Department of Education after construction had already begun.

It said when the specialist conducted the study, the site was already contaminated due to a leaking sewer.

Even though the school is already in operation, the report said the wetland area still requires rehabilitation.

Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka said the lack of proper environmental provisions led to undue delays of the project.

She ordered the provincial Education Department to provide a progress report on measures it has taken to rehabilitate the wetland.