A COMPANY contracted to fix a school has left the premises in a worse state than they found it, causing one teacher to suffer a nervous breakdown and damages worth nearly R1-million.

The Situkulwane Lesisha construction company was expected to make minor refurbishments to Florida Park High School in Florida, west of Johannesburg, to honour a R9.8m tender that had been awarded by the Department of Infrastructure Development last June.

Renovations were supposed to have been completed by February 15 but the school looks worse than it did before the company came in. One teacher suffered a nervous breakdown because of the stress caused by the renovations.

Building waste is littered all over the school, the computer laboratory is damaged and door handles have been incorrectly fitted.

The school's governing body estimates the damages at R354,820 and items that have been stolen worth R527,107.

Items that were damaged include:

• Office and classroom blinds;
   
• Photocopying machines because the building had no roof and rain ruined the equipment;
   
• Two electric gates were damaged because of incorrect voltage; and
   
• The Gauteng Online Lab was damaged.

Stolen items include:

• Phone cables;
   
• ADT security keypads, infrared sensors and access contact;
   
• Nine computer keyboards, one monitor, a DVD player and eight PC mouses;
   
• Three sewing machines and utensils;
   

• A sound mixer and microphones;

• 34 CCTV cameras and cables;

• 28 intercom speakers and cables;

• An electronic Maglock keypad, used for additional security at the school; and

• The school bell.

According to a report to the district office by the school governing body, two home economics centres, three computer study laboratories and one physical science laboratory were vandalised and damaged.

The report states: "We found (the workers) squatting on the bottom field and sleeping and living in the change rooms at the school's swimming pool area ... the change rooms, showers, washbasins and toilets will now have to be renovated because of the unacceptable condition of the building."

The quality of the company's workmanship was so bad that electric equipment had blown in the groundsman's house and the swimming pool pump had been set on fire.

The school called in their own electrician to investigate, and it was discovered that 440 volts - instead of the regulation 230-240 volts - had been used in the wiring.

Cables had been stolen and wires on the hall's distribution board had been stripped. The main neutral wire for the cable that feeds the pool pump-house and the groundsman's house had been cut off.

Provincial education department spokesman Charles Phahlane said: "There is no need to appoint another contractor. They have to fix and complete their assigned work with due regard to the fact that they are working in a school where learning and teaching should not be disrupted."

Phahlane said the education department visited the school on January 18 and was "informed of various cases of damage and or financial loss suffered by the school as a direct result of the construction activities on site.

"We compiled a list of all the damages suffered by the school. This was so that we could compel the contractor to repair the damage or to deduct money for damages from their total payment."