Mpumalanga Department of Education’s lack of an action plan leads to R623 million being returned to the Treasury
“The Democratic Alliance (DA) is concerned that the Mpumalanga Department of Education returned money to the treasury for the second consecutive financial year as they failed to spend it – while their infrastructure projects are lagging,” said Annerie Weber: MPL – DA Spokesperson on Education: Mpumalanga Province
According to the department’s reports, in the 2022/2023 financial year, they returned R311 million to the Treasury due to the failure to spend the budget. The department has managed to repeat the very same in the 2023/2024 financial year underspending the budget with R312 million. This means that in just two consecutive financial years, this department lost R623 million to the Treasury.
“This is one of the main reasons why the department’s infrastructure projects take more than ten years to complete a single school,” said Weber, “Could the reason be that there is too much money being syphoned off these projects?”
R623 million would have achieved a lot if the department had a plan of action. The Department could have done the following:
• Eradicated all the pit toilets in schools.
• Completed the Mkhondo Boarding School.
• Rebuilt Sidlamafa High School in Nkomazi as it is falling apart to the extent that classrooms have cracks.
A School’s physical infrastructure and environment inspire learners to learn and teachers to teach, however, this program continues to fail.
Returning millions to Treasury in two consecutive years costs our learners and teachers. After 30 years of democracy, Mpumalanga schools still face the following challenges:
• A learner will still not have a textbook per child per subject
• Learners will not receive a meal at the mere cost of R3 per child
• Principles and SGBs will face another year of deciding what more they need to cut due to paper budget reduction.
According to a recent government gazette, the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, mentioned that both the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga Departments of Education forfeited R411 million of their 2022/2023 schools’ infrastructure budgets because they have failed to spend it. He mentioned that the Eastern Cape forfeited R100 million while Mpumalanga forfeited R311 million. Gondongwana also mentioned that the money was re-directed to both the Western Cape and Gauteng Departments of Education.
“We will write to the MEC of education, Cathy Dlamini, reminding her that with the shortage of 747 schools in the province, her department needs to start building schools, maintaining and fixing schools, and not give our money that is so needed to other provinces,” concluded Weber
