Pupils attending school in 'deplorable' conditions as government contractors miss another deadline

We've become used to seeing reports of big government construction projects ending in failure, either left uncompleted or finished to a substandard level.

This week, GroundUp published an article about a government contractor missing yet another deadline on a R123 million school in Bekkersdal in Gauteng.

Construction started in 2022 to accommodate the school’s 1,200 learners, who'd been using overcrowded containers as classrooms for years because of the dilapidated state of the original school building.

'According to the provincial government, the contractor had missed two deadlines: in October 2023 and in June 2024.'

The school was only about 50% complete when the provincial legislature’s portfolio committee on Infrastructure Development and Property Management visited the site in February.

The committee said, this pattern of delays extends to numerous other projects across the province 'where communities are left deprived of essential services such as schools and healthcare facilities due to project mismanagement and contractor inefficiencies'.

"These delays are often as a result of poor performance by contractors or department project managers with little to no consequence management taken against them."

Gauteng provincial legislature’s portfolio committee on Infrastructure Development and Property Management

John Perlman asks a structural engineering expert about what goes wrong in cases like these.

There are strict procedures and policies in place, but the degree to which they're carried out does vary, says Professor Richard Walls from the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch.

"There are various quality controls from the tender, which have stipulations and requirements, to the registration... For instance we've got the Construction Industry Development Board which regulates the industry and should give an idea whether a company can complete.

"And then the consulting team should be keeping an eye as the project continues to make sure it's up to speed and that they're only getting paid for work that's done."

Prof. Richard Walls, School of Civil Engineering - University of Stellenbosch

In a case like the school for Simunye Secondary when when you see large overspends and jobs that are not done, you should start asking a lot of questions, Prof. Walls says.

He emphasizes that all of the relevant parties should be playing their role throughout the process to ensure successful completion of a project.

Also, government should have competent project managers overseeing the teams.

"So even if the consultants and the contractors are in cahoots and people are getting paid for work done, the client which is ultimately the government in this case, should be also keeping an eye to make sure that's not happening.... There are multiple checks and balances and typically when something goes wrong, it's not one party's fault."

Prof. Richard Walls, School of Civil Engineering - University of Stellenbosch