Education budget: MEC Nkonyeni expected to focus on Mtshezi schools
The province's biggest budget Education is set to be tabled when MEC Peggy Nkonyeni delivers her department's speech in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature in Pietermaritzburg today.
There is expectation that the community of Mtshezi, which has shut down eight schools in the area over the department's tenders for its feeding scheme programme, will receive some focus.
Negotiations with community members are continuing. Residents are unhappy that the service providers are not from the poverty-stricken community, which is fighting a high unemployment rate.
Also read: Umtshezi community want school feeding scheme reviewed
Phindile Strydom, who is the mayor of the Mbambazane District Municipality, has been accused of being responsible for hiring contractors.
Strydom says she never chose the schools.
"I didn't choose the schools. In 400 schools, only 170 school qualified in that district and only 13 schools qualified in my local district. It wasn't me who did that. The people who chose the schools are the people who are going to pay, not my municipality," she said.
(File photo: Anelisa Kubheka)