Latest news with #KwaZulu-NatalDepartmentofEducation
IOL News
a day ago
- Business
- IOL News
KwaZulu-Natal Education Department plans to save R100 million by purchasing offices
KZN education MEC Sipho Hlomuka Image: file picture The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has announced ambitious plans to own its own offices and save close to R100 million a year in rental costs. The department revealed that it is renting about 22 buildings at a cost of approximately R120 million per year. These revelations are contained in its budget that details its cost drivers and how it aims to reduce these costs. The department is facing a financial crisis and has recently been bailed out by the provincial government, which reappropriated close to R900 million from other departments to assist the departments of health and education in meeting some of their obligations. Speaking on the cost drivers, MEC Sipho Hlomuka said Compensation of Employees (COE) takes up the largest part of the department's budget, accounting for close to 90%. 'Over the years, we have retained a pool of 90,057 educators, of which more than 86,000 are distributed to schools through Post Provisioning Norms (PPN) certificates. Due to several budget cuts implemented by the National Treasury and increased costs associated with employee salaries, it has become increasingly difficult to sustain this pool of teachers, as they are gradually becoming unaffordable. This situation has continued to worsen. 'We have always been upfront during our engagements and consultations with our education stakeholders, stating that maintaining the aforementioned pool is becoming unsustainable given the current circumstances,' said the MEC. He stated, 'We have assessed our own expenditure and are implementing a robust cost reduction strategy to mitigate the impact of budget cuts on the sector. This includes evaluating our spending patterns, prioritising essential services, and exploring alternative funding sources to ensure that we can continue to provide quality education to our learners.' Speaking on office accommodation, facilities, and provision of tools of trade, he said the department is in the process of reducing costs related to office facilities from where it conducts its business operations. 'There are 22 buildings that are leased by the Department through Public Works. The cost spent for the payment of rental towards leased buildings is projected at R120 million per annum. 'To counter this, the department has resolved to reduce these costs by either purchasing or constructing its own buildings and will use available land to achieve this. The aim is to save on the payment of increasing rental costs and other challenges associated with office rentals. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'We have also reduced costs related to printing, travel and accommodation, and conferencing.' He added that the department has adopted a phased approach for the rollout of capital ICT projects and procurement including the implementation of Smart Schools that use modern digital technology for the delivery of teaching and learning in all districts. In this regard, 92 Smart Schools have been rolled out to date. He said they were already seeing results when it comes to fleet management. 'To safeguard our fleet from theft and other forms of misuse, the department installed tracking devices on all its vehicles in 2021. This has helped in dealing with the misuse of state vehicles and monitoring the behaviour of users, while at the same time mitigating vehicle theft, thereby reducing costs for replacement.' THE MERCURY
IOL News
30-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Operation Dudula's impact: KwaZulu-Natal's verification process delayed
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has announced the postponement of its extensive verification process aimed at accounting for all staff and learners across the province. Image: Doctor Ngcobo The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has announced the postponement of its extensive verification process aimed at accounting for all staff and learners across the province, a move that has coincided with a rising tide of activism from the controversial Operation Dudula Movement. In a recent circular, the department confirmed that the verification was intended to eradicate ghost employees and inflated learner numbers that compromise the integrity of school funding allocations. This process was set to commence on 30 July 2025 and would have required employees and learners to present crucial documentation such as identity documents and birth certificates. Employees who failed to comply would face salary freezes, while undocumented learners were to be removed from school registers. "The KwaZulu Natal Department of Education has resolved to postpone the employee and learner verification process, issued under circular No:75 of 2025, until further notice. The said process was scheduled to commence from 30 July 2025 for the head office officials. Management and/or supervisors are advised to bring the said postponement to the attention of all staff as well as the project team members," the department said. While the postponement notice does not mention undocumented learners, the original circular stated that the verification process would include those deemed to be undocumented learners. "Employee and learner verification process including undocumented KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education will be implementing the Employee and Learner Verification project. This project is aimed at physically verifying employees and learners in all the schools, circuits, districts and head office of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education. "The project will assist the department to deal decisively with the risk of infiltrated learner numbers and the potential for existence of ghost employees, whilst ensuring that the department pays salaries to the correct number of employees as well as allocate Norms and Standards funds to schools for an accurate number of learners," it said. The department indicated that during this process, employees would be required to produce identity documents, and sign employee declaration forms, while learners would be required to produce their birth certificates or identity documents as well as passports. Meanwhile, Operation Dudula Movement leader, Zandile Dubula has vowed to take her new campaign to schools across the country in the new year. "We are going to schools. We are going to launch a campaign at the end of December so that in the first week of January 2026, we are going to be stationed at schools. We are saying no illegal foreign child will be attending public schools. They can rather take them to private schools. We do not mind that, but public schools are going to be reserved for South African children only." The upcoming campaign by the movement comes hot on the heels of the Operation Dudula campaign which has been supported by the March on March movement in KZN, where scores of alleged undocumented immigrants have been turned away at local clinics and hospitals in KZN, Gauteng and other parts of the country. This campaign has received criticism from human rights organisations as well as some government departments, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, who called this campaign xenophobic during his recent address to the delegates of the African National Congress Liberation Movements Summit, last week. "We must reject xenophobia in all its forms. Migration in itself, must not be seen as a threat. It is a consequence of underdevelopment, war, and global inequality, not a moral failing of those who migrate in search of hope. As liberation movements, we must advocate for people-centered regional migration policies that affirm dignity, rights, and solidarity as well," he said. Reacting to the call by Operation Dudula, speaking on behalf of Abahlali Basemjondolo, Mqapheli Bonono, slammed the movement's campaigns targeting vulnerable groups saying though Abahlali feel Dudula's frustration, denying immigrants basic rights contradicts the spirit of ubuntu and the country's constitution. "As Abahlai Basemjondolo, we are opposed to Operation Dudula's recent campaign at healthcare facilities as well as the new campaign they want to start. Their campaigns are against the spirit of ubuntu and the country's democratic ideals, espoused by our constitution. How can you deny a child access to education. Some of the children they plan to prevent have already been studying and to stop them from continuing with their education would be inhumane. Even those who are sick, they are still human beings who must be allowed to access healthcare," he stated. Attempts to get clarity from the KZN education department on the reasons for their verification process were not successful at the time of going to print. s[email protected]
IOL News
24-07-2025
- IOL News
Unemployed Verulam teachers fall victim to R30 000 job scam
The victims were asked for more money for registration. Image: AI Meta The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has issued a warning to unemployed teachers about the rising threat of job scams in the education sector. This was after three unemployed teachers from Verulam fell victim to a fraudulent scheme, losing about R30 000 in total in their desperate search for employment. Prem Balram, the head of Reaction Unit South Africa, said he received requests of assistance from unemployed educators, who claimed they were defrauded of substantial amounts of money with the promise of employment. 'The three complainants were teachers seeking employment in primary and secondary schools. They received WhatsApp messages from different individuals known in the teaching fraternity, with the name, profile picture, and status updates appearing genuine. The message indicated that a teaching post was available and a payment of R3 000 would secure the job,' said Balram. Next Stay Close ✕ He said after the initial payment, the perpetrator requested additional funds from the victims. 'The victims were asked for more money for registration, etc. Eventually, all the victims paid about R10 000 each, believing they would be employed by the KZN Department of Education. 'The victims noted that during WhatsApp conversations, the scammer had comprehensive knowledge of their qualifications, institutions attended, and degree completion dates. "When the teachers, whose images appeared on their profiles on WhatsApp, were approached, they denied knowledge of the conversation or of receiving any funds. At that stage, the victims realised they had been scammed." Balram said one of the victims opened a criminal case at the Verulam police station. Muzi Mahlambi, the spokesperson for the KZN Department of Education, said they have 'continuously' warned unemployed teachers against paying for posts. 'We always warn teachers about paying for jobs. They do not have to pay us to get the jobs. We are the ones who pay them when we have employed them and they are working,' he said. THE POST
Eyewitness News
13-06-2025
- General
- Eyewitness News
New crèches may have to close because of late payments by education department
Four Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in Loskop (eMangweni), a rural area in the Drakensberg, have moved into new buildings but are struggling to stay open because the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has failed to pay subsidies on time. The subsidies are set by the national government, currently at R17 a day per child. Subsidies are expected to increase this year, for the first time since 2017, to R24 a day per child. GroundUp has previously reported on how late payments have affected hundreds of ECD centres in KZN. These late payments resulted in legal action, and the department was ordered to pay three crèches the subsidies owed them within 10 days. Five crèches in the Loskop area have new buildings provided through the Santa Shoebox Project but are currently struggling to receive funding. A fifth, due to move into new buildings soon, may have to downscale before then. Soul City Creche is one of the five centres affected. The last payment the crèche received, in March this year, was a back payment for November, December and January, says Cecilia Mbatha, the centre's founder. The centre is now owed around R35,000 by the department, and Mbatha says she is not sure how long it can continue operating. Soul City receives R7,000 a month from the department, which is supposed to cover 20 of its 58 children, says Mbatha. But the centre spends at least R4,000 a month just on food or those 20 children, she says. When the creche eventually does get paid, it will have to back pay its staff who have not received a salary for the last three months, says Mbatha. 'It's so terrible to work with people you can't even give R100 to. They've got their own families.' Soul City moved into its newly built crèche in 2020 when funding was still distributed by the Department of Social Development. According to Mbatha, there were issues with funding back then, but things got a lot worse with late payments when the KwaZulu-Natal department of education took over the grant payments in 2022. It's hard to work in a brand new building and still struggle for money, she says. Siphiwe Samangwe, another centre in the Loskop area, has not received funding since November last year. In total, the centre is owed around R58,344 by the department. The centre is also a beneficiary of the Santa Shoebox project and is due to move into a new building soon. But without funding, says principal Cynthia Mabasa, the centre will not be able to look after the 90 children in its care. Most of the parents of the children are unemployed and can afford very little in the way of fees, says Mabaso. But the centre will try to find ways to stay open because its services are badly needed in the community, says Mabaso. Three other centres have been built by Santa Shoebox in the Loskop area. They have brand new facilities and meet all the department's requirements, but they have been denied funding, says Debbie Zelezniak, Santa Shoebox Project CEO. The department has never provided a proper reason, says Zelezniak. One of the creches, Qandokuhle Educare Centre, is close to having to shut its doors to its 28 beneficiaries after being in its new building for less than three years. The problem of late payments is widespread throughout Loskop, says Terry Ralph, chairperson of Fundisa Umntwana, a non-profit organisation which assists ECD centres in the Loskop area. Ralph, who is also the manager for the Santa Shoebox construction projects in Loskop, says about 20 centres have either received late payments or been denied funding at the last minute. These ECD centres are allowed to go through the whole process to apply for funding, only to be told the department has no money and cannot accept any more beneficiaries, says Ralph. The department had not responded to GroundUp's questions by the time of publication. This article first appeared on GroundUp. Read the original article here.
IOL News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Drakensberg Secondary School concerns escalated
In January, allegations surfaced of a Muslim teacher forcing Hindu pupils to remove their red Lakshmi prayer strings at the school. Last month, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education concluded its investigation into allegations of religious intolerance and exonerated both the principal and a teacher. THE Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Rights (CRL) Rights Commission has escalated concerns over religious intolerance at Drakensberg Secondary School to the Minister of Education, following an investigation that cleared the principal and a teacher of wrongdoing. Last month, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (KZN DoE) concluded its investigation into the allegations and exonerated both the principal and a teacher. When the incident first came to light, Professor Brij Maharaj, the Deputy President of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, said they had escalated the complaints relating to religious intolerance at some schools, especially prejudice towards Hindu pupils and teachers, to the CRL Rights Commission. This, he said, was done on January 24. 'The maha sabha maintained that such actions were insensitive and irresponsible. A critical focus of the CRL is to ensure that 'persons belonging to a religious or linguistic community may not be denied the right to enjoy their culture and practice their religion,' which is entrenched in the South African Constitution. 'It is pleasing to note that on Monday, the CRL informed the South African Hindu Maha Sabha that these complaints had been escalated to the minister of education. More specifically, the CRL is requesting a meeting with the minister of education with a view to a resolution,' said Maharaj. Maharaj said all schools should practice religious tolerance. 'The maha sabha is requesting that the Minister of Education issue a national notice to all public and private schools informing and requesting all educators in South Africa to be aware of the religious significance of the items worn by Hindus, to be sensitive to the multi-religious and multi-cultural diversity in our country, in order to proactively prevent any unpleasant incidents and negative publicity,' said Maharaj. Mpiyakhe Mkholo, the senior communication manager at the CRL Rights Commission, said: "We are in the process of writing to the minister of education. Once we receive feedback, we will contact the affected parties and find a way forward." THE POST
