New classroom to ease overcrowding for community school
Left to Right: Canyon Coal Buyer Sabelo Khumalo, SLP Coordinator Thendo Mugwedi, Delpark Primary School Principal Humbi Mahlaule and Kagiso Kopano Holdings MD Kagiso Seakgoe
A new classroom being built by Canyon Coal is set to alleviate overcrowding at Delpark Primary School in Delmas, Mpumalanga. Delpark has three classrooms, including one brick and two mobile structures to accommodate 116 Grade R learners. The school’s principal, Humbi Mahlaule, says this has created unbearable conditions, as learners in each class far exceed the required 30-learners per classroom limit.
“Once a class is overcrowded, it is not easy for a teacher to give individual attention to the learners, which is concerning for the foundation phase. Delmas winters are brutal, and when it's very cold, my Grade R learners even cry,” explains Humbi.
In 2023, when a team from Canyon Coal visited the school to deliver uniforms, shoes, and sanitary towels, Humbi alerted them of the classroom situation. She sent a written proposal to the company. “Fortunately, the proposal landed in good hands and warm hearts. They came and did a site inspection and found that indeed my learners were in a mobile classroom,” Humbi remarks. Humbi says once the structure is complete, things will change for the better. “This contribution that Canyon Coal has made is going to last for a long time,” she says.
By May 2026, a building foundation had been laid. The project is being managed by Kagiso Kopano Holdings, a local construction company. The company’s Managing Director, Kagiso Seakgoe, says the classroom will be 68 square metres in size, with a specialised raft foundation that helps prevent buildings from sinking in loose or unstable soil. “From a contractor's perspective, being able to partner in such a project allows us to contribute positively to the community,” says Kagiso.
Construction activities at a site to build a 68 square metre classroom to accommodate Grade R learners at Delpark Primary School in Delmas, Mpumalanga
