Dear Editor
The DA in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) welcomes the intervention by Provincial Treasury – led by MEC Francois Rodgers – in terms of Section 18 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), into the financial management of the provincial Department of Education.
The move follows the department’s persistent financial challenges, including budget overspending and concerns around procurement practices.
While recent controversies around the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) highlighted serious weaknesses in financial discipline, it is important to note that Treasury’s Section 18 intervention goes beyond the NSNP and addresses the DoE’s overall inability to manage its budget sustainably. The NSNP processes remain under separate investigation, even though their failures have contributed to a loss of public confidence in the department’s financial controls.
This mismanagement has taken place on the watch of current Head of Department (HOD), Nkosinathi Ngcobo. As the accounting officer, the HOD is ultimately responsible for ensuring compliance with the PFMA and for maintaining strong internal controls. Ngcobo’s inability to prevent this financial collapse demonstrates a fundamental failure of leadership.
The DA therefore calls for his immediate removal in order to allow a new, credible leadership to oversee the DoE’s financial recovery and restore public confidence.
In line with its mandate, Treasury has withheld discretionary funding and now requires that all new expenditure commitments be approved by its office. Importantly, funding for essential items such as the Compensation of Employees (CoE), conditional grants – including the NSNP grant – and direct transfers to schools will continue without disruption.
This is not about political contestation. It is about ensuring accountability and restoring stability to a department that manages the single largest share of the provincial budget. Every rand wasted through mismanagement is a rand stolen from classrooms, teachers, transport and food for learners.
Treasury’s directives, including a freeze on new contracts and the requirement for a clear repayment plan for outstanding creditors, are necessary steps to bring the Department back onto a sustainable footing.
The DA firmly believes this intervention demonstrates that KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) can function effectively when its partners are committed to the principles of transparency, accountability, and good governance. It is proof that decisive, lawful action can be taken to protect the interests of learners and taxpayers alike, regardless of political affiliation.
We urge KZN Education MEC, Sipho Hlomuka and his department to cooperate fully with Treasury in implementing the financial recovery plan. Resistance or obstruction will only prolong the crisis and harm the very learners the DoE is mandated to serve.
The DA will continue to monitor the implementation of this intervention closely to ensure that financial discipline is restored and that the DoE’s focus remains where it belongs – on delivering quality education to KZN’s children.
Regards
Sakhile Mngadi, MPL
DA KZN Spokesperson on Education