Gwarube to intervene at KZN Education as its financial crisis deepens
In a bid to save the financially struggling KwaZulu-Natal Education department, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube in consultation with provincial Finance MEC Francois Rodgers, is expected to outline a financial turnaround plan.
The minister has convened an urgent meeting with Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka, Finance MEC and other role players in the provincial government in Durban on Monday.
The provincial education department in a statement issued at the weekend, said the minister has undertaken an urgent visit to the province to attend to the financial difficulties facing the education department.
“The meeting will discuss the serious financial challenges besetting the province and propose a financial recovery plan for the provincial Department of Education to ensure stability and continuity in the delivery of education services in the province,” read the statement.
Gwarube’s urgent visit comes after concerns that the department was sliding into a deep financial crisis ahead of the financial matric examinations.
Sources within the department have already raised the alarm, saying the financial issues have delayed the process for the delivery of textbooks in preparation for the next year’s school calendar. However, due to being placed under partial administration, the department has not yet commenced with the process. A source responsible for organising the delivery of textbooks said being placed under partial administration, means that responsibility now lies with the provincial Treasury and must be approved there.
The department’s financial crisis stemmed from the revelation that by March this year it had already overspent its budget and was now struggling to meet its financial obligations.
This compelled the Treasury to strip the department of half of its financial powers. The department’s financial crisis was said to have negatively impacted on the delivery of quality education in schools.
The department is also under scrutiny by the provincial Treasury over allegations of fraud and nepotism in the awarding of the school nutrition tender.
willem.phungula@inl.co.za