Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma accompanied by Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga will over the next two days officially hand over brand new schools to villages at Libode and Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.
The schools, Mphathiswa Senior Primary School in Libode and Dakhile Junior Secondary School in Lusikisiki, are part of the first batch of 49 mud schools identified and planned for replacement in 2012 through a Service Delivery Agreement with the Development Bank Southern Africa (DBSA), as part of the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Development Initiative (ASIDI).
ASIDI aims to eradicate all mud schools and inappropriate structures, as well as refurbish dilapidated and ill equipped schools.
The ASIDI National Outputs plan 2011-2014 will see the eradication and replacement of 496 mud schools, provision of water and sanitation to 1 257 schools and electricity to 878 schools. A total of 12 450 learners in the districts of Libode, Lusikisiki and Mthatha are expected to benefit from ASIDI.
Mphathiswa Senior Primary will be opened on Tuesday and Dakhile Junior Secondary School will be officially opened on Wednesday.
Education spokesperson, Panyaza Lesufi said that a total of R8.2 billion has been budgeted for ASIDI for the period 2011-2014. R700 million is allocated for the 2011-12 financial year, R2.3 billion for the 2012-13 financial year and a remaining R5.2 billion is allocated for 2013-14.
"R420 million (60%) of the R700 million budget allocated for the 2011-12 has been set aside to eradicate all mud schools in the Eastern Cape and the remaining R280 million (40%) to fund for basic services necessary in schools," said Lesufi.
Lesufi added that of the 16 contractors appointed to construct the 49 schools, 69% are based in the Eastern Cape.
"The project has created 2 829 temporary employment opportunities with the use of 109 Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises subcontracted for the project."
The project includes the refurbishment of 61 classrooms, 359 new classrooms, 60 Grade R classrooms and 15 temporary classes.
It also includes 49 administration blocks, 49 science laboratory, 49 Multi Media Centre (Library and Computer Lab) as well as 49 multipurpose classrooms. - SAnews.gov.za
