The replacement school adds an extra 520 places for learners, bringing the total capacity to 1 240 andThe total project cost is R86 million, constituting a major investment in the children of Lotus River.
“The project began in 2020, but was unfortunately subject to delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” explained Western Cape Minister of Education, David Maynier. “The contractors also faced intimidation by those attempting to put their personal gain ahead of the interests of our children.”Maynier said that this had become a pattern at school build sites and he applauded the community and the contractor for resisting attempts to muscle in on the project.
“It cannot be that we have to fight to be allowed to build safe, beautiful schools for our children.” “The good news is that we are aiming to spend R830 million more on infrastructure this year, which is a 50.6% increase in spending on infrastructure in public ordinary schools.” School principal, Zaahier Jacobs, said that learners were enjoying the new facilities of the new school building. “The infrastructural development and aesthetic enhancement of the new building has significantly contributed to an improvement in the performance of learners, learner attendance, and staff morale,” added Jacobs.