Brand-New Gauteng School for 1,100 Learners Stands Empty Despite Being Fully Built

• A fully equipped township primary school built to ease overcrowding remains unused while compliance processes drag on behind closed municipal doors
• Parents in the Hammanskraal community are still waiting for answers as modern classrooms and sports facilities gather dust
• Political parties question how a flagship education project can be complete yet legally off-limits to the very learners it was built for

A brand-new public primary school built to serve more than 1,100 children in Hammanskraal is standing empty months after completion.

The school, Ratanang Primary in the Kanana area north of Pretoria, was finalised at the end of 2025. It was completed under the Gauteng Department of Education’s infrastructure drive. As of this report, no learners have stepped inside its classrooms.

The facility was meant to ease pressure in the fast-growing community within the City of Tshwane. Housing developments in the area have increased the demand for schools. However, compliance certificates required before occupation are still outstanding. This prevents the school from legally opening its doors despite being fully built and equipped.

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Empty classrooms in a growing township

Kanana is one of several communities in Hammanskraal experiencing rapid expansion. Families have moved into new housing projects, and existing schools have been stretched beyond capacity. In many parts of Gauteng, overcrowded classrooms remain a challenge. Some township schools accommodate far more pupils than they were designed for.

Ratanang Primary was introduced as a solution. It has 28 classrooms and digitised teaching spaces designed to prepare pupils for a tech-driven world. It also includes sports facilities and a multifunctional hall fitted with stage lighting and a sound system.

An Early Childhood Development section forms part of the school. It has five Grade R classrooms with child-friendly toilets and outdoor play areas. The school also features a nutrition centre, a tuckshop and strong security measures such as CCTV, alarms and an intercom system. Backup power and a water pump were installed to guard against outages and shortages.

Despite these features, Sarah Mabotsa, MMC of Economic Development and Spatial Planning told Rekord that legal requirements linked to the National Building Regulations and the Building Standards Act have delayed occupation

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Red tape stalls opening

Building plans for the property were first submitted in November 2018. Over time, the metro requested corrections and additional documentation. Zoning relaxations were also needed after parts of the structure were found to encroach on the street building line.

The delay has drawn criticism from political parties, including the Freedom Front Plus, which argued that pupils’ right to proper schooling should not be caught up in bureaucracy.

Watch the inside of Ratang Primary School below:

More stories about Mzansi schools

• Angry parents gathered at a Pretoria school after their children were denied placement, exposing deep frustrations over overcrowding and transparency failures.
• Thousands of Gauteng pupils are starting the school year without confirmed placements due to capacity shortages.
• Thousands of parents across South Africa, particularly in Gauteng, are struggling to secure school placements for their children days after the school year began.
• Gauteng MEC Matome Chiloane denied prioritising foreign nationals in school placements.

Source: Briefly News