R900m lifeline for KZN Education amid financial crisis
Basic
Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has confirmed that Premier Thami Ntuli and
the provincial Treasury have released R900 million to assist KZN's embattled
Education Department.
"So the immediate and short term actions will include the ensuring that we are looking at the releasing of particularly the transfers that need to go to schools,” she said on Monday.
“As I said, these are the poorest of our schools and they need government
funding at all costs. And, of course, to look after all those conditional
grants to make sure every cent is spent for each and every
classroom."
Gwarube was in Durban on Monday for an urgent meeting with Ntuli, the Treasury,
and Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka to discuss sustainable solutions to the
department’s financial crisis.
Joined by senior government officials, the meeting they resolved to establish a
task team.
READ: KZN Education’s financial crisis has national implications, warns Gwarube
The department's been battling ongoing financial problems, amid allegations of
tender manipulation and billions of rands in unauthorised spending.
Premier Ntuli says while the department expects to head into the final matric
exams without major challenges, it still requires intervention from the
national office and the Presidency.
" We inherited a government with almost R70 billion that was taken from
our government due to the budget cuts, which we were able to navigate through,
as you know, for norms and standards.
“We were able to sit around that troika to resolve on the way forward but as a result we were able to address the challenges of 2024."
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