The Department of Education has committed to processing payment to the contractor at the construction site of the R94 million Rooirand Primary School in Barkly West. Workers at the site indicated that they had not been paid since the beginning of lockdown. Picture: Danie van der Lith
THE DEPARTMENT of Education has committed to processing payment to the contractor at the construction site of the R94 million Rooirand Primary School in Barkly West.
Work was halted on November 26 where tyres were set alight outside the partially built school.
The workers indicated that protest action would continue “day and night” until they were paid.
“We have not received any payment since the national lockdown was implemented in March although we have been working throughout this time. There were irregularities on the payslips of the few workers that did receive payment.”
Spokesperson for the Department of Education, Lehuma Ntuane, said on Friday the department had been in contact with the contractor regarding the outstanding payment.
“We have committed ourselves to make payment as soon as we receive money from Treasury. The project is currently in the construction stage and about 50 percent of the work has been completed. We are aware that given delays in payment, recent community protest and subcontractor issues, the main contractor is not on site.”
Work was also disrupted in January for two weeks when community members demanded that 30 percent of the contract be awarded to local subcontractors.