Report by Lulama kaSozathini, Images: Supplied
In early 2023, the rural community of Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape welcomed what seemed like a long-awaited step toward improving conditions at Mateko Junior Secondary School. The project promised to bring proper ablution facilities to the school — a basic necessity that teachers, learners, and parents had been requesting for years.
The contract to build the facilities was awarded to Phehla Umsebenzi Trading CC, a company whose registered address is listed near Hartbeespoort Dam in the North West Province. According to records held by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), the listed owner and director of the company is Lerato Seepe.
A Project That Started With Hope
Local workers say construction began with optimism. Several residents from Lusikisiki were hired to work on the project — doing tasks ranging from bricklaying and digging trenches to transporting building materials.
“At first everything looked legitimate,” said one of the workers, Sipho Mhlabeni*, who helped lay foundations for the structures. “They told us the job would run for several weeks and that we would all be paid once the first phase of the work was completed.”
Another employee, Nomvula Zulu*, recalled the early days of construction.
“We were happy because work is very hard to find here. Even if it was temporary, it meant we could buy food for our families.”
The Sudden Disappearance
However, according to the workers, the situation changed abruptly. Before the project could be completed — and before many of the workers had been paid — the company allegedly abandoned the site.
Construction equipment and supervisors reportedly disappeared, leaving the workers confused and without answers.
“One morning we arrived at the site and there was nobody,” said another labourer, Thabo Mkhize*. “The supervisors’ phones were off and the vehicles were gone. That is when we realized something was wrong.”
The workers say they were left without wages for weeks of labour.
“Some of us borrowed money to get to the site every day,” said Zulu. “Now we are the ones who must face our families without pay.”
Appeals to Government
Frustrated and desperate, the workers say they tried to seek help from authorities, including officials from the Eastern Cape Department of Education, which oversees public schools in the province.
According to the employees, their attempts to receive assistance or clarification about the contractor have not yet produced results.
“We reported the matter and asked them to help us find the company,” said Mhlabeni. “But up to now we have not received any clear answers.”
Attempts to Contact the Company
Icamagu News attempted to reach the owner of the company, Lerato Seepe, using the contact details listed in the records of the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission.
At the time of publication, no response had been received.
Workers Ask the Public for Help
With the company no longer present at the site and communication seemingly cut off, the workers say they are now turning to the public for help in locating the company or its owner.
“We are not asking for charity,” said Mkhize. “We are asking for the money we worked for.”
Another worker added:
“If anyone knows where this company is or how we can reach them, we are begging them to come forward. We just want justice for the work we did.”
For now, the incomplete structures at Mateko Junior Secondary School stand as a reminder of a project that promised improvement but left workers with unanswered questions.
*Some employee names have been changed to protect their identities.
