KZN Education Department cites budget cuts as DA raises concern on underfunded schools
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has attributed the financial strain facing schools to years of government-wide budget cuts, saying the impact has been most severe on education because of the department’s size.
Department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said: “This is not scientific information that someone has researched, but it is always provided by us to all oversight committees. It’s public knowledge that over the years there have been budget cuts affecting all the departments, with education being the hardest hit because of its size and persistent underfunding.”
Mahlambi was responding to claims by the Democratic Alliance (DA) that chronic underfunding has left many KZN schools unable to function effectively, forcing principals to take desperate measures to keep operations running.
DA KZN spokesperson on education, Sakhile Mngadi, said the department is paying “far below” the national benchmark per learner allocation required by the South African Schools Act.
“The 2024/25 National Norms and Standards payment per learner is R1 672 in quintile 1 to 3 schools, yet KZN’s Department of Education is paying just R955 per learner,” he said.
Mngadi said this shortfall amounting to more than R2 billion has left schools unable to afford essential services such as electricity, water, and learning materials.
He said that at a high school uThukela, a principal has reportedly resorted to connecting electricity from a neighbour’s home because the school cannot pay its municipal bill.
“The principal has also had to pay out of his own pocket to print essential documents and materials for learners. This is an untenable and deeply unjust situation,” Mngadi said.
The DA said it plans to push for reforms to ensure all Norms and Standards funding is ringfenced and paid in advance, to give schools time for proper financial planning.
Mngadi also criticised the inconsistent implementation of the National School Nutrition Programme, which he said continues to create uncertainty for learners dependent on daily meals.
In response, Mahlambi said the department has consistently explained these budget constraints to oversight committees and confirmed that the cuts have had a compounding effect on operations across the province’s schools.