The two MECs visited six schools in Khayelitsha and Delft on Monday.

Kuyasa Primary School was found incomplete and the MECs demanded to know why.

The contractor failed to complete the building in time for the new year.

When Fransman confronted the contractor, he blamed the delay on “cash flow problems” and a delay in building supplies.

Jeffrey Buwa, circuit manager of East Metropole, said Fransman has given an ultimatum to the contractors to come up with a plan for when the school will be finished.

Buwa said the current contractor has been building the school for the past 22 months, but it is still incomplete.

He said the contractor has been complaining about building resources and cash flow. He added Fransman has called for an urgent meeting with the contractor to determine why the school was not finished.

Nontutuzelo Mayeki, Grade 7 teacher at Kuyasa Primary School, said their school is overcrowded and they have decided on platooning.

As a resulted of overcrowding, the school has been plagued by gangsters, who robbed learners and teachers on the school premises.

Mayeki said teachers were promised the school would be finished in March last year, but the date has since been postponed on several occasions.

Some of the schools the MECs visited included the brand new Manyano High School in Umsobomvu Drive, Ilitha Park, Khayelitsha.

The school is one of the new schools that has cost the government R117,7 million to ensure learners have safe and secure classrooms as they start their new academic year on Wednesday.

Sipamandla High School also experienced some difficulties; they have no school furniture, telephones or water supply.

Dugmore said every year learner enrolments at schools across the province increased.

He said despite the burden of receiving thousands of new learners every year, the Western Cape has always been able to accommodate all its learners.

Dugmore said the Education Department is expecting more than 80 000 learners in Grade 1 and about 920 000 in total to return to school on Wednesday.

Fransman said over the past two years his department has invested R243,1 million in 14 new schools, additional classrooms, admission facilities and school forums.

He said the delivery of these new schools in areas with a dire need indicates the commitment his department and government made to the people of this province.

“I’m proud to say my department has lived up to the challenge by continuously building new schools where there is a need.

“I want to echo the sentiments of Dugmore that no learner will be turned away from our schools.”