KATLEHONG, Gauteng – Construction on the rebuilding of Montic Primary School has come to a standstill as small subcontractors allege they have not received payment for approximately three months of work.
The project, which was scheduled for completion in November 2025, remains about 90% finished but faces indefinite delays due to ongoing payment disputes between local subcontractors and the main contractor.
A spokesperson for the subcontractors confirmed that the team has repeatedly attempted to resolve the matter through formal channels. “We have been sending emails and following up on payment deadlines, but the outstanding amounts remain unsettled,” the spokesperson stated.
The new school facility is designed to accommodate approximately 40 classrooms, serving learners from early childhood development levels up to Grade 7. Local workers involved in the construction, many of whom are also parents of children expected to enroll at the school, expressed frustration over the stalled progress.
“We wanted the school completed for our children, but we cannot continue working without compensation,” said one bricklayer involved in the project, who spoke on condition of anonymity regarding the payment process.
The subcontractors have made it clear that construction will not resume until their outstanding payments are settled. They are calling for immediate intervention to resolve the financial dispute and allow the nearly completed school to open for the upcoming academic term.
Efforts to reach the main contractor for comment regarding the payment delays were unsuccessful at the time of reporting. Local education stakeholders have expressed concern over the impact of the delay on learners in the Katlehong community who are awaiting the upgraded facilities.
