ActionSA has lashed out at the Gauteng government for alleged negligence and poor planning after a group of parents in Ga-Rankuwa township in Tshwane protested over a local school being built on a wetland. 

The party is demanding answers over the construction of Bachana Mokwena Primary School, questioning who approved the location and which environmental and building regulations were breached.

Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, has assured that the department will dispatch a hydro-geologist to assess the situation, cordon off the affected area, and deploy mobile classrooms this week. 

However, the party is demanding more concrete action, including disciplinary measures against those responsible and plans for relocation or rehabilitation.

ActionSA’s John Moodey, a Gauteng legislature member, demanded that the government disclose plans for conducting immediate environmental and structural assessments to determine risks to learners and staff. 

He also called for details on relocation or rehabilitation plans, emphasising that these measures should be funded through accountability actions against those responsible, rather than further burdening the public.

Around 400 learners in Grade R and Foundation Phase are at risk due to classrooms surrounded by underground water, sparking fears of potential collapse.

Agnes Mashibymi, chairperson of the school governing body, alleged that parents have repeatedly reached out to various departments about the school’s unsafe environment, but their concerns have been met with indifference.

Moodey expressed grave concern over the revelation that a school had been built on a wetland, citing it as a blatant example of negligence, poor planning, and disregard for environmental laws and learner safety.

“It is unconscionable that, in a time of urgent need for functional and safe learning environments, a multimillion-rand public school could be constructed on ecologically sensitive and unsuitable land. This points to a fundamental failure in planning processes, interdepartmental coordination, as well as adherence to building and environmental regulations,” he said.

He blamed the situation on systemic corruption within the provincial government, citing another example of Mayibuye Primary School in Tembisa being built on a wetland.

The R82 million Mayibuye school was found to be built on an old sewer line without a wetland study, according to a Public Protector report by Kholeka Gcaleka, which also highlighted irregularities and maladministration in the school’s construction.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za

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