Note to Editors: Please see attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Werner Pretorius MPL and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL with images here, here and here
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will continue to pressure the Free State Provincial Government to put the Oranjekrag Hostel in Gariepdam into operational use, ensuring that learners from rural areas have access to the facility.
Despite being completed on 12 December 2024 at a cost of R89 million by the Free State Department of Education, the 200-bed hostel remains closed 11 months later. The DA has repeatedly raised concerns about the delay in opening the hostel to learners.
In a written response to DA questions in the Free State Legislature, the MEC stated that the hostel was initially scheduled to open on 3 July 2025. The facility, however, remains inaccessible to learners to date.
The DA is also concerned about water provision to the hostel, as the Kopanong Local Municipality owes millions to the Vaal Central Water Board, leaving the greater Gariepdam subject to water restrictions.
In response to DA inquiries about the availability of water at the hostel, the Department stated that it is in the process of drilling a new borehole to meet both the school and hostel’s water requirements.
The Department has cited staffing challenges and employee remuneration issues as reasons for the prolonged closure of the multimillion-rand facility. The DA will continue to monitor the matter and press for the hostel’s opening, ensuring that learners from rural areas can benefit from the new facility and the quality education it is intended to support.