The structural integrity of Gauteng school buildings is not fully known to the provincial government due to the slow pace of conducting inspections.
Schools are required to have condition assessments every five years, but a report from the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID) shows just under 95% of schools missed that mark.
Inspecting the school is the role of GDID, however, the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) are responsible for the safety response and implementing repair projects.
Over 1 950 school uninspected
Gauteng has at least 2 061 public schools, but GDID confirm that 1 956 have not received condition assessments in the last five years.
Alarmingly, of the 105 assessed in that period, more than half have been identified as needing some form of structural intervention.
GDID score the structural integrity of a school on a scale from one to five, which is judged by a “multidisciplinary team of built environment professionals”, including engineers and quantity surveyors. Â
“The assessment of building conditions is not based on the presence of specific faults or defects, but rather on the overall state of the facility or its assessed section,” GDID spokesperson Theo Nkonki told The Citizen.
“Facilities rated at levels four or five represent the upper range of performance standards, indicating that they are in a generally sound condition with only minor or superficial defects observed,” he explained.
GDID inspectors have identified 57 schools in need of intervention, with Nkonki confirming all fell between levels three to one.
Infrastructure concerns
GDID and the GDE share the responsibility of addressing the challenges, and MEC Jacob Mamabolo explained how the departments intertwine.
“In alignment with the mandate vested in the budget holder, GDID, in collaboration with GDE, actively implements the restorative repairs programme,” wrote Mamabolo in the recent report shared in the provincial legislature.
The department did not reveal the specific nature of the structural issues, but one of the affected schools, Hoerskool Roodepoort, has had its main building, housing classrooms and laboratories, closed for several years.
“This programme encompasses the systematic identification of facilities necessitating intervention,” stated Mamabolo.
‘Writing to the Public Protector’
The GDE was asked what plans had been put in place at affected schools and what size budget was required to address all the structural issues, but no response had been forthcoming at the time of publication.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) suggested the number of uninspected buildings was a tragedy in the making.
“Government has failed to ensure that all schools are inspected at least once every five years to safeguard our learners and teachers,” said Michael Waters, DA Gauteng spokesperson for education.
“The DA will be writing to the Public Protector about this unacceptable situation. The safety of our children must come first.”
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