BLOEMFONTEIN: The DA in the Free State has called on the provincial Department of Treasury to intervene urgently into the dire financial situation the Department of Education faces. This followed the revelation that the latter incurred more than R2,5 million in penalties due to defaulting on payments to third parties.
These include defaulted payments to the South African Revenue Service (Sars), Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), and the Government Employees Medical Scheme (Gems).
Dulandi Leech, spokesperson for the DA on Finance in the Free State Legislature, said information received painted a dire picture.
“Following an inquiry about the measures to be taken to prevent a similar situation at the end of the current financial year, the MEC for Education stated that third-party penalties would be paid depending on the cash flow, demonstrating a disregard for proper planning and the misuse of taxpayers’ money.
“The R2,5 million is more than most people’s homes and could have been used to aid classrooms, teachers, and learners. It is unacceptable that mismanagement of funds, as well as poor planning, continue to lead to such unnecessary expenses. These large amounts of wasteful expenditure cannot be shrugged off as ‘small amounts,’ ” said Leech.
According to Leech, this happened due to the department being underfunded.
“There has been a huge cut in education funding,” she said.
Leech said the party welcomes intervention by the Minister of Education, Siviwe Gwarube, which include commitment to working with provincial finance departments, as well as the Treasury, to alleviate the financial pressures facing education.
“The minister has already identified the problem across all provinces. Minister Gwarube has further advocated that investment in education should be increased and that it should receive a larger portion of the national budget, while also encouraging the public and private sectors to join hands with the government and to prioritise education as the bedrock of the future of our South Africa.
“Better planning needs to take place. We propose that no new infrastructure projects be embarked on until all current projects have successfully been completed and handed over.
“Disciplinary actions need to be taken against employees, especially teachers, who have been suspended to ensure that two salaries do not have to be paid for one teaching position,” said Leech.
