Delays in opening of Mkhondo Boarding School raise questions

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22-04-2025
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The Citizen
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It was announced in the latest State of the Province Address that the school would be opened in the second term.

The much-anticipated Mkhondo Boarding School has still not opened.

The responsible department, the Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport (DPWRT), remains silent about the completion date following the premier, Mandla Ndlovu’s, announcement that it would be operational in the second term. Ndlovu said this in his State of the Province Address less than two months ago.

On April 3, just before the second term began on April 8, an inquiry about the completion and opening of the school was sent to the spokesperson, Bongani Dhlamini. He acknowledged the receipt of the questions but has not responded.

The MEC for public works, roads and transport, Thulasizwe Thomo, visited the construction site on March 21 and said the completion of the school was in sight.

“The effective execution of an acceleration plan over the last few months has produced remarkable progress on this project. The team is working around the clock to complete and wrap up this project. We are pushing full steam with unwavering determination to conclude the remaining works,” Thomo said.

About seven months ago, the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature’s portfolio committee on public works, roads and transport said the school’s completion date was scheduled for September 30. This was said during an oversight visit on September 11.

The chairperson of the committee, Jesta Sidell, had said that, upon completion, the Department of Education would use the facility for the revision of Grade 12 learners’ exams for 2024, while preparing for the 2025 intake.

Just two months after this visit, a budget injection of R60m was made, following the R140m received in November the previous year towards the construction.

The building of this school, a state-of-the-art facility, began in 2019 and was estimated to be completed within 18 months with a R200m budget. After six years, it is not yet completed.

Sidell had said one of the challenges that had hampered the completion was the Covid-19 national lockdown, which limited the availability of funding within budgets during the 2021/22 financial year. In addition, non-payment of subcontractors by the main contractor, delays in the approval of a road servitude, and the acquisition a water usage license from KwaZulu-Natal were all contributing factors.