Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Roy Jankielsohn MPL and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL, as well as attachments
After more than seven years, learners from the rural Breda School are still without a hostel. Construction of a hostel for the prefabricated school, which is 12 kilometres outside of Fouriesburg, commenced on 29 February 2019 but remains an empty concrete shell.
With an initial budget of almost R84 million, the successful tender went to GT Molefe Construction. At that time, the DA raised concerns about the company’s ability to complete such a project. In a reply to a question in the Free State Legislature in 2025, the MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure, Ms D. Mance, stated that a great deal of money has been paid out with no end in sight.
Money paid out includes around R28 million to GT Molefe Construction, R500 Thousand to Abeco, R421 Thousand to Ikhepu, R417 Thousand to Frela, over R1.1 million to Hardware Meca, and over R31 million to Namcon Construction. This brings the cost of the empty shell to almost R62 million.
While Namcon Construction was contracted with a budget of approximately R34 million to complete the project after GT Molefe Construction ceded the project to them on 27 February 2026, Namcon have received the bulk of the budgeted funds with no end in sight for the completion. Meanwhile, the MEC for Education, Dr M. Maboya, indicated in another reply in 2026 that there is no replacement contractor appointed.
Her reply indicates that more money will be spent on the procurement of a new contractor solely for the technical assistance and completion of the remaining scope, after which a contractor will be appointed to complete the remaining work. However, no mention is made of any budget for this.
Meanwhile, the learners at the school have to suffer the indignity and difficulty of travelling and walking long distances to get to the school, and cross a flooded waterway since an access road bridge is often flooded in the rainy season.
The DA has requested the Public Protector to investigate this project that has potential tender irregularities, has experienced long and unnecessary delays and leaves learners without the dignity of decent accommodation after many local rural farm schools were closed.