Abandoned school building site ‘attracts criminals’
Plans to erect Haven Hills special needs facility at a standstill for years
Plans to build a school in Haven Hills, Amalinda, five years ago caused an outcry in the suburb, with residents complaining they were not consulted.
Today, the site where the special school was meant to be built has been abandoned.
Now the residents want to know when the school will be completed.
Haven Hills residents forum chair Toney Plaaitjies said there was initial unhappiness about the construction of the school, a project undertaken by the departments of public works and of education.
The school was meant to cater for children with mental and physical disabilities.
“We were informed through our councillor a month before the building of the school started.
“We were not properly consulted about this development, which raised a number of concerns by the residents.
“Though we are in need of these new developments, we feel we should have consulted prior the building,” he said.
Residents, however, later came on board and work began on the site.
The property was fenced and construction began.
However, the project stopped, and what remains today is a bushy area that has become a hideout for unsavoury characters.
Plaaitjies said the fence had gradually been broken down and stolen.
“Young people use those premises when they are using drugs.
“We usually find [the] belongings of residents who have had break-ins in their homes.
“The departments of education and public works must complete the building of the school as we are suffering from the criminal activities that occur in our area.”
Plaaitjies said residents now did regular patrols in the suburb because of the increase in criminal incidents.
Public works referred the Dispatch
to the education department for comment on the abandoned project.
However, the department had not responded by print deadline on Tuesday.
Autism SA’S regional development officer, Antoinette Bruce-alexander, said East London had only three specialneeds schools — Parklands, Khayalethu and College Street.
“There is a challenge throughout the whole Eastern Cape and, in reality, the whole of SA. We do not have enough schools for our children with special needs, not only autism spectrum disorders,” Bruce-alexander said.
“We have long waiting lists at all existing special-needs schools. Some schools have waiting lists of five years or more to admit children.
“It is a challenge for our parents and caregivers, who need education for their children as is their constitutional right.
“Without schools and trained educators and support staff, our children face a bleak future.”
She said Autism SA would be able to provide some assistance to special-needs children who required help.
“We are not in a position to place children because of their diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders — this remains the role of the department of education.
“Our role would be in advocacy, counselling and guidance, information-sharing, training and assisting with implementation of educational structures to assist children with autism to cope better at school,” Bruce-alexander said.