Cape Town - Construction of Manenberg School of Skills has been halted until next year, when the matter related to the awarding of the construction tender is heard in the Western Cape High Court.
Construction of the project ceased in October after a company that was not awarded the tender, Fury Point Construction, reportedly the former Good Hope Construction, interdicted the project and review application against the awarding of the tender contract.
Community liaison officer for the school, Fareed Phillip Jansen, said the school formed part of the mayoral urban regeneration programme (Murp), which includes upgrading of primary schools (Edendale Primary School, Manenberg Primary School and Rio Grande Primary School), a 590-bed regional hospital, and public transport infrastructure, lighting, roads, sports facilities, recreational parks and a redeveloped community library.
Jansen said the school should have opened at the end of 2023, but because of the court case this could be further delayed.
The contract was awarded to H&I Civil and Building (Pty) Ltd who stopped operations due to the interdict.
Planning for the school had started in 2015, with a Community Action Plan signed by then mayor Dan Plato, former premier Helen Zille, and the Manenberg Steering Committee in November 2018.
The R84 million project was scheduled to take 87 weeks to complete.
“The footprint of the school was laid, sewage pipes, manholes, and stormwater pipes and storm water drains. Next phase would've been the foundation phase and brickwork. Before that could start, the interdict happened,” Jansen said.
“The community of Manenberg is being done a great injustice. We are being denied badly needed employment and income.
“The longer this case drags on, the longer we will suffer as it places the whole upgrade on hold.”
The awarding of the contract was done by the Department of Transport and Public Works, a first respondent in the matter, with the Western Cape Education Department.
Education MEC David Maynier said building of the school has been interdicted pending the hearing of the review application, to be heard in February 2023.
In September, the WCED said a “construction Mafia” had attempted to extort money from the appointed contractor.