01-07-2025
Full steam ahead for Menzi High School upgrades after construction mafia delays
After disruptions by construction mafia and further delays due to payment issues in the cash-strapped KwaZulu-Natal education department, upgrades at Menzi High School in Umlazi, Durban, are going ahead.
The R37.8m project which started in June 2022 was set to be completed in December 2024.
However, it suffered at least six stoppages, mainly due to disruptions by armed gangs who demanded 30% of the project budget, with those disruptions escalating project costs which required the education department to seek additional funding.
The completion date was revised to April after the department received funding from national government and the KwaZulu-Natal public works department managed to reach a working agreement with the Black Business Forum.
However, the project was disrupted again early this year, by public works, when it halted all education-related initiatives due to payment issues.
'The disruption this time was not because of business forums. We've had a struggle with payments on site for the department of education. There was a time that we had to put a hold on all department of education projects until we could sort out the payment situation,' said public works MEC Martin Meyer.
