Grocott's Mail
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Saturday, June 21
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Grocott's Mail
    • NEWS
      • Courts & Crime
      • Features
      • Politics
      • People
      • Health & Well-being
    • SPORT
      • News
      • Results
      • Sports Diary
      • Club Contacts
      • Columns
      • Sport Galleries
      • Sport Videos
    • OPINION
      • Election Connection
      • Makana Voices
      • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
      • Newtown… Old Eyes
      • Incisive View
      • Your Say
    • CUE
      • Cue Archives
    • ARTSLIFE
      • Makana Sharp!
      • Visual Art
      • Literature
      • Food
      • Festivals
      • Community Arts
      • Going Places
    • OUR TOWN
      • What’s on
      • Spiritual
      • Emergency & Well-being
      • Covid-19
      • Safety
      • Civic
      • Municipality
      • Weather
      • Properties
        • Grahamstown Properties
      • Your Town, Our Town
    • OUTSIDE
      • Enviro News
      • Gardening
      • Farming
      • Science
      • Conservation
      • Motoring
      • Pets/Animals
    • ECONOMIX
      • Business News
      • Entrepreneurship
      • Personal Finance
    • EDUCATION
      • Education NEWS
      • Education OUR TOWN
      • Education INFO
    • EDITORIAL
    Grocott's Mail
    You are at:Home»EDUCATION»Education NEWS»EC loses R415m mud school money
    Education NEWS

    EC loses R415m mud school money

    Staff ReporterBy Staff ReporterNovember 18, 2017Updated:November 24, 2017No Comments2 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    The national Department of Basic Education has failed to spend the Schools Infrastructure Backlogs Grant for the Eastern Cape. This means R415 million or 26% of the R1.574 billion allocated to the Eastern Cape has been underspent. This money is allocated for the eradication of mud structure schools.

    This emerged in a briefing by National Treasury and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) to the Provincial Portfolio Committee on Finance Wednesday 15 November 2017 in Bhisho, on the 2017 Division of Revenue Amendment Bill. For the relevant page in the Bill click here.

    The DA shadow MEC for Finance, MPL Bobby Stevenson said the ongoing under-expenditure on education infrastructure in Eastern Cape schools by the national Department of Basic Education was not only a violation of the basic rights of learners, but also denied them a leg-up on the opportunity ladder.

    Some of the reasons provided to the portfolio committee for the under-expenditure were:

    • Delays in appointing contractors;
    • Reappointing contractors where the services of underperforming contractors were terminated; and
    • The delays in finalising the merger and rationalisation of schools.
    • “This province cannot afford to lose R415 million particularly when it is specifically allocated to alleviate the plight of those learners who are subjected to mud structure schools,” Stevenson said. “The DA believes that contractors who underperform should be called to account and their guarantees called up as well as being blacklisted.”

    Every year since 2009 with exception of one year, the national department had failed to spend all of the money, Stevenson said. “This contributes to the structural poverty that grips the Eastern Cape.”

    Previous ArticleOUTA demands 0% electricity tariff increase at NERSA public hearings
    Next Article God bless Zimbabwe: Letter from Harare
    Staff Reporter
    • Website

    Comments are closed.

    Code of Ethics and Conduct
    GROCOTT’S SUBSCRIPTION
    RMR
    Listen to RMR


    Humans of Makhanda

    Humans of Makhanda

    Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

    © 2025 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.