WATCH | Parents lament ‘health hazard’ mobile classes children study in

The Church of the Twelve Apostles in Trinity, Khutsong, says its plan to build a permanent worship space has stalled because three years ago the Gauteng department of education asked that a school move into its premises temporarily and is still there today.

In 2023, the Gauteng education department relocated about 1,400 pupils from Relebogile Secondary School to mobile classrooms on the church property after a sinkhole damaged the school’s toilets.

A R27m budget was also set aside to rehabilitate the school.

While the move was meant to be temporary, the arrangement still remains while church members and parents report little progress on repairs at the school.

The Gauteng department of infrastructure development (GDID) spokesperson Theo Nkonki said the project is still in its initiation phase and no contractor has been appointed.

“The project is currently at stage two, which is the documentation stage for concept viability. Essentially, the project is still in the planning phase. We have completed the planning work from our side, but it remains at the initiation stage and no contractor has been appointed yet,” said Nkonki.

He said the department has set aside a preliminary budget of about R27m, adding that the figure is an estimate of what may be required to implement the rehabilitation project.

Church youth committee member and security guard Mahao Ntori said the congregation bought the property in 2022 with the intention of building its main church branch.

However, shortly after purchasing the land, the department approached the church requesting to use the site while repairs were carried out at the school.

“They told us it would only be temporary while the school was being fixed. Three years later, nothing has changed. We have building materials, including bricks bought with church offerings, but we cannot continue because the school is still here,” said Ntori.

He said the congregation worships in a small shack while the rest of the property is occupied by classrooms.

“Everything has come to a standstill. Since our pastor passed away, the project has stalled even further,” he said.

The church also mentioned that the department pays R11,000 for rental.

Although the department confirmed that pupils were temporarily accommodated at the church property, it referred all questions regarding the rehabilitation project to the Gauteng department of infrastructure development.

“The Gauteng department of education can confirm that learners from Relebogile Secondary School are currently being taught temporarily at the church property. Accordingly, the department provided mobile classrooms for this purpose.

“It must be noted that the current status of sinkhole repairs and rehabilitation of the original school site can be better responded to by the Gauteng department of infrastructure development,” said department spokesperson Onwabile Lubhelwana.

Lubhelwana did not respond to questions regarding the lease agreement, rental payments or when pupils are expected to return to the original school.

Parents said the temporary site has become unsafe and unsuitable for learning.

School governing body (SGB) member and parent Tsholofelo Makgale said the gravel-covered school yard becomes unbearably dusty during the windy months, while heavy rains leave the school flooded.

“This place is a health hazard. During August the dust is unbearable and children struggle to breathe. When it rains, the containers flood and learners cannot even move between classes. We’ve also had cases of infections because the toilets cannot adequately accommodate all the learners,” she said.

Makgale questioned why a temporary arrangement had stretched into years.

“Our children have a school across the road that simply needs to be repaired. We are now considering camping outside the department’s offices until someone tells us exactly when our children will return.”

She said another school in the area had a sinkhole repaired within a month.

“We are tired. We want the department to tell us exactly when our children will return to their school. A private school in Khutsong had a sinkhole repaired within a month. Why should township children continue to suffer simply because they attend a public school?” she asked.

Another parent and SGB member, Johannes Leping, said the school community had grown tired of promises.

“Every year officials come here promising that contractors will be appointed, but nothing happens. Last year, we were told work would begin in August [2025]. This year, the department of infrastructure development told us they had completed their report and were waiting for the department of education to give the go-ahead. We are constantly being sent from pillar to post,” he said.

Leping said the prolonged delays were affecting academic performance.

“Our school is currently classified under Section 58B. Last year, we achieved only a 67% matric pass rate with 25 bachelor’s passes. We believe the learning environment is contributing to those results.”

A Sowetan team visited the original school site and found broken windows and doors, dusty classrooms, and some smart boards and equipment left behind after the emergency evacuation when a sinkhole threatened the grade 12 block and toilets.

Parents and church members have urged the government to fast-track rehabilitation so pupils can return and the church can start building its permanent worship space.

Sowetan