Foundation on brink of losing R17m grant

By Zine George

East London – An Mthatha-based foundation is on the brink of losing a more than R17-million donation earmarked for a state-of-the-art school, because it battles to find land for the structure.

Saleem van Staaden, of the Mthatha Muslim Foundation, said the organisation secured more than R17-million four years ago to build a “school of excellence” which would focus mainly on teaching maths and science.

Although there is land zoned for institutional development near Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Fort Gale, its owners, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, have not decided whether to sell it to the foundation or not.

At least three applications have been submitted to the ECDC in the past four years for the land purchase, but without success.

Van Staaden said he was afraid the funders might take their money to another country if it was not used. “We’ve been sitting with this money for far too long. I’m afraid the funders might withdraw,” he said.

This came out after the Public Service Accountability monitor released a report saying the Eastern Cape education department was in need of R15-billion to roll back its infrastructure backlog.

Van Staaden said more than 90 per cent of businesspeople in Mthatha and surrounding areas were forced to send their children to East London, Durban, Ugie, Maclear and Elliot because there were very few “quality” schools in the area.

“There is Vela and Mthatha High school, which is not enough for the whole Mthatha and surroundings. But even these two schools you cannot compare with your Sterling or Clarendon in East London. We are trying to help, but the government is not assisting us. How do we speed up this process?” asked Van Staaden.

The organisation, through their sister partner – the World Assembly of Muslim Youth Charity Organisations – secured the funds from a Saudi Arabian non-governmental organisation.

According to the plan, the facility would accommodate 650 pupils, 300 of whom would be boarding pupils.