Media queries sent last week to the aforementioned Free State Department on the back of the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) oversight visit to the school have gone unanswered. The Free State Education Department, in the end, has declined to comment on the matter with spokesperson Howard Ndaba telling OFM News the school “is being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure” on their behalf and as such queries need to be sent to that department. The Free State DA Leader, Roy Jankielsohn, was amongst the delegation that conducted an inspection of the building site on 7 July.

Jankielsohn, who was joined by Dihlabeng DA Councillors Eric Motloung, Hilton Maasdorp, and Sello Mokoena, allege construction on the school began on 30 June 2020 and was meant to be completed at the end of June 2021. However, upon their visit last week, the school was far from being completed. Pictures of the visit do indeed show that construction on the outside structure has commenced, but is far from being completed and ready for occupation. The DA further alleges that Education MEC, Tate Makgoe, confirmed in the Free STate Provincial Legislature that R60 million had been set aside by his department for this project.

OFM News has also sent media queries to the construction company that was appointed to erect the Vogelfontein primary school and they are yet to respond. It is not yet confirmed how much money has already been spent on the construction of the primary school.

This is a developing story.

OFM News