BUSHBUCKRIDGE, Mpumalanga — Parents and educators at Hundzukani Primary School in Bushbuckridge are expressing deep frustration over a severe classroom shortage that has left more than 500 learners crammed into just five or six available classrooms. The crisis stems from the recent demolition of seven dilapidated classrooms and the provincial education department’s subsequent delay in delivering promised mobile classrooms before the start of the new school term.
Built by parents in 1968, the 58-year-old school recently underwent an infrastructure assessment by engineers commissioned by the provincial education department. The assessment concluded that a block of classrooms was in a dilapidated state and on the brink of collapse, necessitating immediate demolition to ensure learner safety. While community protests had previously highlighted the school’s deteriorating conditions, officials noted the assessment was part of an ongoing, proactive infrastructure development program rather than a direct reaction to the protests.
Despite assurances from the department that temporary mobile classrooms would be installed before schools reopened this week, learners returned on Tuesday to find the facilities missing. Consequently, the remaining classrooms are now hosting between 80 and 90 learners each, creating an environment that parents and teachers argue is highly unconducive to effective teaching and learning.
Addressing the shortfall, Gerald Sambo, spokesperson for the provincial education department, apologized for the delay and the resulting overcrowding. Sambo clarified that while it was the department’s wish to have the mobile units ready for the school’s reopening, unavoidable procurement processes have caused a temporary setback. He assured the community that the procurement is in an advanced stage and the mobile classrooms will be delivered imminently.
Sambo further highlighted that the department has allocated 1.9 billion in the current financial year to address similar infrastructure challenges across the province, with 301 million specifically earmarked for projects at schools facing critical conditions. He commended the school’s Governing Body (SGB) for their continued cooperation throughout the process.
The long-term resolution will be implemented in phases over multiple years due to the complexity of the infrastructure challenges. This multi-year plan encompasses the construction of new classroom blocks, the replacement of other aging structures, and the development of additional specialized educational facilities at the school. Until the mobile units arrive, the department maintains that the demolition was a non-negotiable safety measure to protect the lives of the learners.
