Blind children study in crumbling classrooms as new school project stalls
The Rivoni School for the Blind was supposed to be completed by June 2024, at a cost of R168-million. The contract was awarded to Clear Choice Builders in 2021, but last year the company was placed in business rescue after completing 90% of the project.
The new school will include classrooms, a hostel, a dining hall, a kitchen, staff housing, and other facilities for learners with visual impairments. Tender documents confirm that it will accommodate about 170 learners. It is unclear why the project is so large and expensive.
Meanwhile, learners are still using old dilapidated prefab structures and mobile toilets. The school is one of only six in Limpopo for blind learners and has maintained a 100% matric pass rate over recent years.
The Independent Development Trust (IDT), which is responsible for the project, said a new subcontractor was appointed in May 2025 to take over from Clear Choice. Spokesperson Phasha Makgolane said the project will be complete by 10 December 2025.
But when we visited the site earlier this week, no workers were present and the perimeter fence was broken. Workers say they have not been paid since May last year, and construction materials have been stolen.
Makgolane did not say how much has been spent so far or whether the theft of materials is being investigated. He said audits 'occasionally' take place, but could not confirm whether this project had been audited.
He added that IDT held meetings with workers and subcontractors about unpaid wages. 'Workers were asked to submit lists of what they were owed, but this was never provided,' he said.
But project steering chairperson Vicky Muvhali says the list was submitted, and no payments were made. He said they have recovered 81 stolen zinc sheets and that many people have built their own houses with cement stolen from the site.
In response to follow-up questions, Makgolane said: 'Allow us to resolve some of the challenges regarding the project … At an appropriate time, the IDT will issue a media statement which will be shared with you.'
The Limpopo Department of Basic Education spokesperson, Mike Maringa, referred questions to the IDT.
This article first appeared on GroundUp. Read the original article here.
Co-published with Limpopo Mirror
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Former KDM mayor Lindile Nhaca expected to be reinstated this week
Former KDM mayor Lindile Nhaca expected to be reinstated this week The African National Congress (ANC) is expected to reinstate Lindi Nhaca as KwaDukuza mayor, less than eight months after her controversial exit. Sources within the ANC have told the Courier that Nhaca is the front runner for the mayoral election in Thursday's highly anticipated council meeting. Former iLembe District mayor Sduduzo Gumede is said to be the most likely candidate to be appointed as her deputy. This follows the resignations of mayor Ali Ngidi and his deputy Sicelinjabulo Cele earlier this month. The pair stepped down under mounting political and public pressure, stemming from a series of scandals and persistent service delivery failures. Ironically, Ngidi assumed office following Nhaca's own controversial departure at the end of September last year. Ngidi and Cele, who were elected just over a month later on November 5, tendered their resignations following a directive from the ANC, although they will remain in their roles until their successors are officially elected. According to ANC provincial task team co-ordinator Michael Mabuyakhulu, the recall decision forms part of the party's broader strategy of 'rebuilding and renewal.' Ngidi's brief tenure was dogged by controversy. Public dissatisfaction surged in the wake of multiple scandals, including a car hire debacle that saw more than R1-million spent on vehicles, along with a monthly personal security bill exceeding R173 000. Both Ngidi and Cele have been ordered to repay a portion of the car hire expenses, particularly those incurred before formal council approval was granted. The administration also struggled with a wave of crises including widespread and prolonged electricity outages, labour unrest involving hundreds of municipal workers and the embezzlement of R35.7-million in January. Multiple investigations into the municipality's affairs are currently under way, led by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa). These probes focus on numerous allegations of mismanagement. Public frustration continues to grow, with civic organisations and residents demanding accountability and new leadership. The ANC had not responded at the time of publication. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below.
eNCA
9 hours ago
- eNCA
Public Works Minister releases corruption report
JOHANNESBURG - Forensic investigation by Accounting PwC found that there was no relations between contractors and IDT officials. Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, revealed the outcomes of a forensic investigation into the Pressure Swing Adsorption Oxygen Plant tender. PricewaterhouseCoopers investigated the over R800-million deal.
The Citizen
9 hours ago
- The Citizen
Fake licence and ballooned budget: PwC report places IDT seniors at centre of R800m oxygen tender
A forensic report has found that the IDT awarded a major oxygen plant contract to an unqualified company using a fraudulent Sahpra licence. The Independent Development Trust (IDT) awarded a multi-million oxygen plant project tender to a company that did not have a valid South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) license. This is according to a report by auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which looked into the R836-million oxygen plant tender to supply oxygen systems to 60 state hospital facilities across the country. Fraudulent license submission exposed The report was released by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean MacPherson at a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday. It revealed that Bulkeng Pty Ltd fraudulently submitted a Sahpra license that belonged to a different company. IDT, the government's built environment project management agency, awarded Bulkeng a R428 million tender on behalf of the Department of Health to install pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants. 'Bulkeng Pty Ltd submitted a Sahpra license belonging to Atlas Copco Industrial SA without the knowledge or consent of Atlas Copco. This was a clear misrepresentation. In simple language, it's called fraud,' MacPherson said. Furthermore, Bulkeng has a Construction Industry Development Board grading threshold of R200 million, which means it did not qualify to be awarded a project of that value. Additional contractors lacked Sahpra approval MacPherson said the report also revealed that seven other companies were awarded contracts without valid Sahpra licences. ALSO READ: Macpherson suspends all EPWP funds to municipality 'The service providers that were appointed on the panel were, however, not required to provide evidence that they meet the Sahpra requirements as set out in the Infrastructure Programme Implementation Plan,' the minister said. Project costs soared without explanation Another alarming finding was that a R216 million budget ballooned to R592 million without justification. MacPherson said the Department of Health requested to approve increased funding for the rollout and implementation of the plant projects to R590 million—more than double what the original starting estimate was. 'This project was therefore increased by a staggering 174% from the initial estimated budget.' He said the international financing organisation Global Fund and the health department approved the increased budget, despite one of the initial conditions in 2022 being that the total cost of the project would not exceed R216 million. The report also singled out Dr Molebedi Sisi, IDT's general manager of supply chain management, for his 'role in misleading internal stakeholders and failing to act in accordance with his responsibilities'. MacPherson said Sisi advised against cancelling the Request for Quotation Process of the tender bidding, despite clear warnings from the Department of Health. 'He assured the [IDT] CEO and evaluation committees that the procurement process was compliant, when in fact key regulatory requirements such as valid Sahpra licences had not been enforced.' ALSO READ: 'Extend that apology to black South Africans,' says ActionSA over Macpherson's hobo comment Instead, both the CEO, Tebogo Malaka, and Sisi approved contracts, he said. IDT executives named for misleading and inaction The report revealed that Malaka failed to exercise oversight and relied entirely on internal supply chain management staff to assure her that the processes had followed proper procurement protocol. 'She did not verify any of the documentation. She did not act on any of the red flags raised by the Department of Health.' PwC investigation followed media exposé As a result of these findings, the minister said disciplinary action was recommended against the senior officials involved. The Department of Public Works appointed PwC to conduct a full independent forensic investigation into the PSA oxygen plant on 15 January, following a related exposé by the Daily Maverick three months prior. MacPherson said investigators conducted over 40 interviews with departmental officials, IDT executives, contractors and oversight stakeholders over six months. They reviewed more than 90 procurement documents and analysed financial records. The minister said he was already aware of the long-standing and serious allegations of financial misconduct and corruption at the IDT from the moment he stepped into his role. NOW READ: Minister hails SIU's R67 million recovery from 'corrupt' state contractor
