New Zwelethemba Secondary School reaches practical completion

The new Zwelethemba Secondary School near Worcester will provide top-quality accommodation to 1 250 learners when it opens its doors in the 2017 academic year.

The Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) commenced with this R57 million project for the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) in July 2015. It is proud to announce that the project reached practical completion on 2 December 2016. The new double-storey school building is expected to alleviate overcrowding at Vusisizwe Secondary School, Zwelethemba’s only high school.

Teaching facilities comprise 33 standard classrooms, five specialised rooms and one multi-media room with a library. The complex also has a hall with toilet facilities, an administrative building, caretaker facilities, and a sports field.

DTPW is committed to creating short-term Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) employment and skills training opportunities. The project exceeded its empowerment and employment targets, with R5 million spent on targeted enterprises and R1,1 million on local labour.

DTPW project leader Clive Truter says many local people from the Breede Valley municipal area benefited from EPWP work opportunities during construction. “A total of 121 persons contributed towards the project, including two EPWP National Youth Service programme participants. A total of 12 persons also received on-site training in carpentry,” he said.

WCED construction project manager Hayley Ittmann says the new school is a landmark which will uplift the community as a whole. “A large assembly hall was constructed that can be used by the neighbouring PJB Cona Primary School on request. The school will be a major asset to the local community because the design makes the school suitable for skills training purposes as well,” she said.

DTPW and WCED are proud to have delivered high-quality infrastructure on time and within budget. This is in line with the Western Cape Government’s Provincial Strategic Goal 2, to improve education outcomes and opportunities for youth development.