Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Mahalia Kose. See attached pictures here, here, here, and here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will escalate the matter of the unfinished and vandalised Tshehetso Primary School in Kgotsong, Bothaville, to the Free State Legislature’s Education Committee and the Lejweleputswa District Municipality.
This mismanagement has not only wasted the funds already allocated but has also denied learners in Kgotsong their right to quality education.
MPLs David McKay and Jafta Mokoena, Dr Igor Scheurkogel MP, Cllr Thinus Barnard and I recently conducted an oversight inspection at the site. I conducted the first oversight in January 2023.
The project began in 2018 and was due for completion in 2021. Workers abandoned the site in July 2022, briefly returned in September, but construction stalled again. Although work resumed in February 2024, reaching 90% completion, progress was halted from April 2025 onwards.
Unpaid workers and security staff left the site, leaving the school completely unprotected.
As a result, severe vandalism has taken place. Doors, chalkboards, and plumbing fixtures have been stripped, sanitation systems have been destroyed, and roofing has been stolen daily. What was once a nearly completed school has now been reduced to ruins.
The project will now require additional money, potential new contractors, and replacement of stolen infrastructure, resources that could otherwise improve service delivery in Nala.
To address this crisis, DA MPL Dulandi Leech will formally report the matter to the Education Committee. At the same time, I will write to the Lejweleputswa District Municipality’s Municipal Manager requesting urgent intervention. The DA will continue to monitor progress closely and fight for the rights of Nala residents.
Ultimately, this situation demonstrates how corruption and poor management harm communities directly.
By voting for a DA-led government in the 2026/7 Local Government Elections, residents can secure accountable leadership that prioritises service delivery and the future of our children.