By Johnathan Paoli

The Electricity and Energy Department has praised the launch of PowerUp as a major step in growing employment opportunities in the renewable energy sector.

Officially introduced at an event hosted by the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) and GreenCape, PowerUp is a key initiative under the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM).

It is a pioneering online platform aimed at addressing critical skills shortages and preparing the workforce for the country’s growing green economy.

Electricity and Energy Deputy Minister Samantha Graham-Maré, praised PowerUp as a groundbreaking model of public-private collaboration focused on job creation and economic growth.

“This innovative new platform aligns with the collaborative ethos of SAREM, which prioritises skills development as a key driver in unlocking the growth potential of the renewable energy sector,” she said.

Graham-Maré also noted that SAREM was awaiting final Cabinet approval, but stressed that its success hinged on continued collaboration between government and private sector partners.

“I encourage all stakeholders to actively participate and demonstrate our commitment to the future of South Africa’s youth and renewable energy sector,” she concluded.

Developed as a collaborative effort between industry, academia and government, PowerUp seeks to ensure that South Africa’s workforce is equipped with the necessary skills to meet the increasing demand in the renewable energy sector.

The platform was created with the support of key stakeholders, including EWSETA, GreenCape, the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association, the South African Wind Energy Association, MerSETA, and the United Kingdom Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK PACT), which provided funding for the initiative.

The platform serves as a hub that connects industry stakeholders with training institutions, facilitates the development of new qualifications and promotes employment opportunities within the renewable energy value chain.

The launch also featured discussions at the Africa Energy Indaba’s energy and investment hub, further emphasising its strategic importance to South Africa’s green economy.

British High Commissioner Antony Phillipson expressed his enthusiasm about the UK PACT’s involvement in PowerUp’s development.

“By engaging key stakeholders, PowerUp will help ensure the availability of skills for job opportunities in the green industry sector, foster greater collaboration between academia and industry and identify inclusive opportunities for youth and workers in transitioning regions,” he said.

EWSETA CEO Mpho Mookapele emphasised the platform’s role in ensuring that skills development aligns with industry needs.

“Success for PowerUp is not just about the number of users on the system but about seeing TVET graduates enter the job market with in-demand skills made possible through collaboration between PowerUp and industry,” she said.

Mookapele also highlighted the broader impact of the initiative, stating that its success would be measured by how well it contributed to the National Skills Development Plan 2030.

We are striving to achieve the objectives of the NSDP 2030, which aims to establish a credible mechanism for determining the demand for skills in South Africa,” she added.

As PowerUp moves forward, industry leaders, Post-School Education and Training institutions, Sector Education and Training Authorities and key funders are urged to support the initiative.

Mookapele called on industry leaders to take an active role in shaping the workforce by identifying critical skills needs and fostering talent development.

“Together, we can build a skilled, future-ready workforce to drive South Africa’s renewable energy sector,” she stated.

Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa underscored the vast opportunities that the renewable energy sector presents.

“The energy transition is not just about power generation; it’s an economic and industrialisation agenda that requires a highly skilled workforce. From mining and beneficiation of critical minerals to manufacturing and maintenance of renewable energy infrastructure, the skills required span multiple disciplines, creating immense opportunities for South Africans,” Ramokgopa said.

With strong backing from government, industry and academia, this platform has the potential to transform skills development and employment within the green economy.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thapelo Molefe

The Media, Information and Communications Technology Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA) is under intense parliamentary scrutiny following the release of a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report on irregular discretionary grant allocations between 2014 and 2018. 

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training has demanded urgent clarity on how the SETA is implementing the report’s recommendations and ensuring financial accountability.

The SETA appeared before the committee to present a report on its governance, financial performance and strategic initiatives for 2020 to 2025.

The public entity is facing concerns over its board vacancies and governance efficiency.

While its accounting authority consists of 13 members, two vacancies remain unfilled, raising questions about its decision-making capacity and representation.

The vacancies have been reported to Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane.

The SETA operates with six committees, including the audit and risk committee and the executive committee, but the frequency and necessity of some meetings are now under review due to cost concerns. 

“In line with the approved annual governance calendar, the board and its committees meet on a quarterly basis except for Exco, which meets monthly in line with the approved constitution,” reads a report from MICT.

However, the portfolio committee is urging a review to cut costs.

Its financial stability has been notable, with revenue exceeding R1 billion annually since 2020. However, scrutiny has intensified over the board’s expenditure, particularly regarding chairperson fees and travel costs. 

In the 2023/24 financial year, chairperson Simphiwe Thobela’s expenses totalled R1.6 million, with R62,000 allocated to board fees and R1.051 million to travel and accommodation.

“The travel and accommodation expense of the chairperson is attributed to the fact that he resides outside Gauteng and travels from Kokstad, which is south-west of Durban and Flagstaff in the Eastern Cape, to attend MICT SETA meetings and engagements,” the report stated.

However, the committee raised concerns over the necessity of such high costs.

It also questioned fruitless and wasteful expenditure, despite the MICT SETA reporting no irregular expenditure for the period. The Supply Chain Management (SCM) department, praised for its 99% compliance rate, will now face additional oversight. 

“Over 98% of the SCM spend contributes towards historically disadvantaged SMMEs,” the SETA emphasised, pointing to its commitment to transformation.

While it achieved a Level 5 risk maturity assessment from the National Treasury, an independent investigation into misconduct allegations has highlighted internal governance tensions. 

“During the period under review, a misconduct allegation was made to the Chief Executive Officer. Subsequently, the board chairperson informed the minister and the board,” the presentation revealed.

Additionally, the SIU conducted a probe into discretionary grant allocations between 2014 and 2018, with the final report submitted to the Presidency in 2024. 

“A report on the steps taken by MICT SETA in implementing the recommendations was submitted to the Presidency and the office of the minister on 27 January 2025,” the report confirmed. 

MICT has invested R1.6 billion in bursaries, learnerships and internships, benefiting over 44,000 unemployed learners, with a focus on women and rural communities. 

“More than 60% of these learners were women, totalling over 26,875 individuals,” the report highlighted.

Despite these achievements, concerns remain over the effectiveness of its programmes, as the Tracer Study revealed that only 51% of graduates secured employment. 

“93% of learners who were unemployed before starting MICT SETA learning programmes gained practical experience during the training, and 51% of those learners obtained employment after the programmes,” it reads.

In MICT’s digital strategy, which includes its integrated learner management system (ILMS), the SETA aims to streamline operations and enhance reporting. 

“The ILMS is the first step in developing the shared services model which will be piloted within the SETA landscape prior to rolling it out into the post-school education and training sector,” the presentation stated.

While the initiative has received positive feedback, its expansion to other SETAs under a shared services model raises concerns over feasibility and cost-effectiveness. 

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has assured the country of her department’s determination to be more considerate of the implications of public-private sponsorship, despite its financial crisis.

Speaking during a parliamentary plenary on International Mother Language Day, Gwarube acknowledged concerns about corporate branding and advertising in schools and indicated that policies would be developed to regulate the nature of such partnerships to ensure that they benefited learners without exploiting them.

“We must have a policy that says how do we manage the kind of branding and advertisements that happen in schools in a way that doesn’t harm the learners but assist us with the gap,” she said.

Gwarube stressed the financial situation the department was in, highlighting the need for assistance from the private sector.

“I must point out that the future of partnerships, particularly corporate partnerships, is here because ultimately the government cannot meet the demand that our schools and our learners have,” the minister said.

The issue came to the forefront following the donation of McDonald’s-branded desks to two Cape Town schools, leading to a heated national debate about the role of private companies in education and the ethical implications of corporate branding in schools.

Gwarube defended the decision, stating that corporate partnerships were essential in addressing the financial shortfalls in the education sector.

With 13.5 million learners and 24,000 schools across South Africa, she said the government alone could not meet the growing demand for resources.

Section27, along with 21 other organisations, issued a joint statement last week condemning the move as a blatant form of marketing that targeted vulnerable children. They argued that allowing fast-food companies such as McDonald’s to brand school furniture was a covert advertising strategy that exploits children and normalizes unhealthy eating habits.

The debate around corporate influence in schools extended beyond food companies, with Rise Mzansi raising concerns about the involvement of gambling companies in education funding during the debate.

While gambling companies do not directly advertise in schools, they are required by law to contribute at least 1% of their gross revenue, approximately R15 billion per year, towards socio-economic development initiatives.

These funds often support education, health and youth development programmes.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Alicia Mmashakana

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has revealed that Waseem Carrim will serve as its acting CEO, starting immediately.

NSFAS board chairperson Karen Stander said that with his proven track record at the National Youth Development Agency, he came well prepared to lead NSFAS during its transitional period.

She said the board was confident that Carrim would provide the stability and leadership needed to initiate the transition of NSFAS towards becoming an international best practice benchmark in student funding.

The appointment follows the conclusion of the term served by the administrator Freeman Nomvalo.

Carrim is presently the CFO of the scheme and has previously held the positions of CFO and CEO at the NYDA where he guided the agency to achieve nine consecutive clean audit reports and increased the organisation’s budget from R400 million to R1.5 billion.

He is a Chartered Accountant by profession and holds two master’s degrees. He is a member of the board of the Small Enterprise Finance Development Agency and the Unisa Enterprise.

In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations, Carrim will work closely with the board to develop a strategic vision for the future of NSFAS.

“His deep understanding of state-owned enterprise (SOE) operations, combined with a commitment to fostering innovation and growth, and a passion for youth development that is evident in everything he does, makes him the appropriate choice for this role. A role that requires the ability to turn around a fund, which he has demonstrated at the NYDA,” Stander said.

She said Carrim would ensure that the scheme provided outstanding value to all of its stakeholders and students.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thapelo Molefe

Despite years of discussions and recommendations, key challenges in South Africa’s education sector remain unresolved.

Over the weekend, the 10th Basic Education Sector Lekgotla was held. Despite a decade of meetings, stakeholders voiced their frustration at the slow pace of implementation, calling for urgent action to bridge the gap between policy and implementation.

“We cannot keep repeating the same discussions every year without tangible results,” University of Free State Dean of the Faculty of Education Loyiso Jita told the gathering in Ekurhuleni.

“It is time we pick two or three critical issues and commit to their resolution before the next lekgotla.”

From the chronic shortage of well-trained teachers to the widening digital divide between urban and rural schools, the challenges are well documented. 

This year, the theme for the three-day meeting was “Strengthening foundations for learning for a resilient future fit education system”.

Policymakers, educators and stakeholders tackled key issues plaguing the education system in six areas. They included foundational literacy and numeracy, early childhood development (ECD), care and support for teaching and learning (CSTL), educational professional development for a changing world, education using ICT, and mother tongue-based bilingual education (MTbBE).

A range of participants and delegates were adamant that more than ever it was now time to focus on implementation. Thirty years into the country’s democracy, South African learners were still battling with the basics such reading, numeracy and comprehension.

On foundational literacy and numeracy, delegates highlighted the widening gap between systematic evaluation assessments and school-based assessments. Among the solutions proposed were increasing mathematics instruction time, improving teacher support and embedding structured play-based learning to enhance literacy and numeracy.

On ECD, the commission urged that practitioners must have the right tools and support to lay the foundation for lifelong learning. They called for learning materials to be available in all the official languages.

Commission three, which focused on CSTL, delivered a stark warning that unaddressed trauma and adverse childhood experiences were crippling learners’ ability to succeed in school.

“A child living in fear can only process 30% of what they are taught,” Basic Education Department director for psychosocial support services, Sibongile Monareng, noted.

Recommendations included a five-year strategy to integrate psychosocial support into schools, with referral networks and teacher training to help address emotional and mental health challenges.

On teacher shortages and training gaps, which continue to threaten the quality of education, delegates called for micro-credentials for professional development, strengthening Professional Learning Communities and structured mentorship programmes.

“We need to value and incentivise continuous teacher development,” said acting deputy Director-General for Teachers, Human Resource and Institutional Development at the Basic Education Department, Enoch Rabotapi.

“Teachers are expected to adapt to new policies and methodologies, but where is the support to make that happen?”

While ICT has been recognised as a game-changer in education, the lack of infrastructure and security remains a roadblock. The country is already behind in digital transformation and without a clear ICT strategy, it risks falling behind even further.

Participants called for urgent collaboration with telecommunication providers to improve network access in rural schools. However, the theft of digital devices in schools has emerged as a serious challenge.

A security plan was proposed to safeguard ICT investments, but stakeholders demanded clear implementation timelines.

With Basic Education Laws Amendment Act mandating the expansion of MTbBE, questions around its execution dominated discussions. The commission recommended standardising terminology to align African language curricula with linguistic structures and expanding multilingual teacher training.

“We cannot promote mother tongue education without properly trained teachers and adequate learning materials,” said the department’s chief education specialist, Sello Galane.

The commission also emphasised the need for sustainable funding and strong policy advocacy to ensure effective implementation.

The frustration in the room was palpable. Delegates demanded an end to policy stagnation and called for urgent, measurable action.

Environmental concerns were also raised, with education official Fourten Khumalo from Mpumalanga calling for school policies that addressed climate-related challenges and safety issues. 

In his closing remarks, former education director-general Duncan Hindle urged all stakeholders to move beyond words and into action. 

“We must track progress and ensure commitments translate into real change,” he said. 

He called for the Human Resource Development Council to integrate key lekgotla insights into national education policies, particularly those focused on foundational learning and future-readiness.

The 2025 Lekgotla has sent a clear message that the time for talk is over. The education sector must move from policy debates to implementation to ensure real improvements for learners and teachers.

“Next year, we must be discussing progress, not repeating the same challenges,” Jita concluded.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

The country’s rising stars in rowing came together over the weekend to compete in the South African Schools Rowing Championships, sponsored by Rand Merchant Bank (RMB).

Hosted at the Roodeplaat Dam outside Pretoria, the event featured over 1500 athletes, making it one of the largest school rowing regattas on the African continent.

The competition marked the culmination of months of rigorous training, with rowers pushing themselves to the limit to claim national titles.

Teams competed across various boat classes in a series of heats, semi-finals and finals, showcasing their speed, endurance and teamwork.

One of the standout performances came from Parktown Boys’ High School, whose Coxless 4 secured a top-eight finish in the A Final.

The crew, consisting of Humaid Timol, Xhanti Mandla, Kagisho Makotanyane and Thandolwethu Mogane, received immense support from their school community.

On the girls’ side, St Andrew’s School for Girls emerged as a dominant force, securing multiple accolades in the best U14 Girls, best U16 Girls, the national champions in the Junior Women’s U19 1st Quad and Doubles as well as being officially crowned the top girls’ school in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Grey High School’s rowers made their mark with strong performances, including a bronze medal finish in the U15 Double by Sam Offerman and Thomas Allen.

Gauteng environment MEC Shyla Peters attended the regatta, underscoring the importance of preserving Roodeplaat Dam’s natural beauty.

Addressing the athletes and spectators, she shared her personal connection to the venue.

“Roodeplaat holds childhood memories for many. Preserving its rich biodiversity ensures future generations can enjoy both nature and sport. Keeping it pristine means events like these will thrive for years to come,” Peters said.

Her message reinforced the intersection of environmental responsibility and sports development, urging all stakeholders to protect the natural heritage of this iconic rowing venue.

The significance of the event extended beyond school rivalries, with RMB sponsorship marketing lead Michael Edwards highlighting how the championships served as a launching pad for young rowers.

“SA Schools Rowing Champs is an annual showcase of the best young rowing talent in the country. It has served as a catalyst for many starting their journey towards the RMB National Squad and international competition. We’re incredibly proud of our partnership with this event,” Edwards said.

The championship ended with a spirited prize-giving ceremony, recognising the outstanding achievements of the young athletes.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Edwin Naidu

Politicians are good at speeches. But they must learn to walk the talk.

During the State of the Nation Address in February, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the government was committed to “ensuring that every child can read for meaning in the foundation phase”.

Such a commitment is empty without admitting that since democracy, the ANC has failed the children of South Africa. It regressed under the helm of former basic education minister Angie Motshekga.

But we don’t criticise our leaders who lead us down the drain. They must be praised at all costs.

And the government continues to make empty promises as 80% of Grade 3 learners cannot read for meaning in any language as measured by the South African systemic assessment.

Reports from the South African Systemic Evaluation (SASE) (2022) and the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (2021), which were released last year, support the findings of the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study that 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in any language.

The SASE reveals that only 20% of Grade 3 learners perform at grade level or above in their home language, and nearly 70% of Grade 6 learners have not achieved grade-level reading skills in the language of learning and teaching – Afrikaans or English.

If that is not failure, then measuring success comes far too easily for our government, especially if one considers the razzmatazz around the matric results. How do you call it success when hundreds of thousands of learners starting Grade One don’t make it to matric?

A new report by the 2030 Reading Panel provides sobering reading. It highlights that the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng are the only provinces that are at different stages of implementing assessments at primary schools to improve reading.

It recommends that meaningful budgets be allocated to reading resources and interventions, with Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube emphasising that reading is a vital element of education reform and critical to protecting “South Africa’s greatest asset, our young people”.

The Reading Panel is made up of great South Africans and is led by chair Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who is former deputy president of South Africa. They include vice-chancellors, leaders of education NGOs, and foundations.

To bolster its efforts in literacy reform and systemic change, the panel has four new experts – Prof. Veronica McKay, Dr Faranaaz Veriava, Kentse Radebe and Prof. Mary Metcalfe.

They are top education experts whose commitment to a better South Africa cannot be questioned.

I wish them well in their roles. However, like the president has shown when he speaks, nobody seems to listen. Is it because they cannot read?

In which case, some blame must fall at the door of Minister Motshekga, who spent more than a decade in the hotseat as the country’s education head. Children cannot read because education under her watch has been a failure.

If this pattern is not to be emulated by Gwarube, she must do more than her predecessor.

The 2030 Reading Panel is one great initiative.

But where are the young ambassadors to inspire others to join the fight to read? Too many experts and no children will trip up a great initiative.

Children need role models they can relate to. Perhaps, that’s something to consider when they bring others on board.

Edwin Naidu is Editor of Inside Education.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Dr Blade Nzimande

As the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), we strongly believe that no nation can hope to achieve its development goals if it fails to invest in the development of its scientific capabilities.

I am proud to state that South Africa has one of the most advanced and largest public science systems in Africa.

Over the past three decades, we have made significant investments which greatly enhanced our capabilities in science and the prestige of our scientists.

For instance, we have expanded our system by creating new specialist entities such as the Technology Innovation Agency, the South African National Space Agency and the National Intellectual Property Office.

More recently, we made strategic policy shifts with the aim of making our public system science more responsive to our national priorities. In this respect, we adopted our White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation in 2019.

To drive targeted research and the development of technologies in key economic sectors such as energy, agriculture, mining, health and the circular and digital economies – with a strong focus on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence – we adopted a Decadal Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation for the period of 2022-2032.

As an outcome of our investments, our share of global research output (0,98%) has increased and is making a difference in areas such as health innovation (HIV/Aids) and the development of rural livelihoods.

Our investments have made it possible for us to win the bid to cohost big international science projects such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which once completed, will be the single biggest science infrastructure.

The DSTI has adopted a number of key priorities for the next five years that are in line with our new mantra of placing science, technology and innovation at the centre of government, education, industry and society.

They include increasing our focus on helping our country to develop credible pandemic preparedness capacity, more specifically local vaccine manufacturing capacity.

We will also continue to support the development of scarce and critical skills, through among others, the Presidential PhD Programme.

Education and science are both instruments for unlocking human potential and, therefore, education and science are both complementary and mutually reinforcing.

For instance, as part of our work to build a strong research workforce for our country, we are running a comprehensive postgraduate programme to equip students with the necessary research skills.

But this programme cannot succeed unless the basic education system provides a reliable supply of school leavers with quality passes to pursue STEM disciplines at universities.

Just as importantly, the basic education system must supply school leavers who qualify for engineering studies at TVET colleges. They are needed to build and maintain the equipment used to conduct research.

Furthermore, for the basic education system to operate optimally, policies and practices must be evidence-based.

Available data, which we constantly compile, analyse and interpret, and continuous new research inform the evidence used to inform policy decisions and practices.

The departments of Basic Education and Science, Technology and Innovation have a long-standing partnership that covers a variety of areas.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and I agree that the work of our two departments is intricately linked, and our mandates are interdependent.

This is why we recently had a bilateral meeting where we agreed to strengthen and diversify the partnership between our two departments.

DSTI Programmes

The DSTI has implemented a number of programmes aimed at enabling the mandate of the Basic Education Department.

Some of these programmes include National Science Week, STEM Olympiads, STEM career material and a focus on 4IR literacy.

The National Science Week is an outreach programme that attracts over 4000 learners each year and engages them in a week-long programme of exciting activities which are meant to spark their curiosity and encourage them to take up careers in science. The DSTI is currently looking at extending National Science Week to become National Science Month.

STEM Olympiads provide a platform for learners to informally experiment with scientific theories. They are important for the development of skills such as problem solving, critical and computational thinking, communication and creativity.

The DSTI also produces and distributes a well-researched STEM career publication that explains STEM careers and associated paths, which is available on our website and can be delivered to schools upon request.

The DSTI Centre for High Performance Computing in Cape Town has trained close to 200 educators from all nine provinces as trainers on the basics of coding.

Science is an enabler for national development, and we will continue to help build and support an education system that is fit for the future.

Dr Blade Nzimande is the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Edwin Naidu

Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has not commented on the proposed Student Debt Relief Bill by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), published in the Government Gazette last week.

The EFF wants the country’s student debt estimated at R17 billion to be scrapped.

In a statement at the weekend, the EFF urged South Africans to unite behind its call to cancel student debt.

“This is a historic opportunity to change the lives of thousands of young people and generations to come. The promise of education must not be a privilege for the few but a right for all. Now is the time to act decisively and ensure that no student is left behind,” the EFF said in a statement.

On Monday, the Department of Higher Education and Training responded, saying it has no comment. The minister was currently focused on ensuring that all the needs of students were met, especially as the registration period drew to a close.

“The minister has been engaged and actively going on the ground to hear the challenges that students are facing and has brought task teams, including the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS),” said the department in a statement.

“… the minister is also committed to ensuring that no child is left behind. We also hope to use this registration period as a learning experience to do better in the following year,” the department said in response to an enquiry from Inside Education.

On Saturday, the EFF welcomed the gazetting of the intention to introduce the Student Debt Relief Bill, as published in Government Gazette No: 5129, on 28 February 2025.

In a statement, the EFF said this Bill, driven by the party’s Sihle Lonzi, wanted to address the country’s student debt crisis that has left over 300,000 young South Africans unable to graduate and receive their degrees, certificates and other qualifications despite having completed their studies.

Over the past two decades, student debt has grown and stands at around R17 billion.

In November last year, the party informed the Speaker of the National Assembly of its plan to introduce a Student Debt Cancellation Private Member’s Bill.

“We have consistently highlighted how student debt denies thousands of young people the opportunity to advance their personal and professional lives, despite having fulfilled all academic requirements.

“These students, who diligently pursued education with the hope of securing a better future for themselves and their families, are now left without the qualifications they worked hard to earn. Their exclusion from the workforce due to outstanding fees not only perpetuates inequality but also undermines the country’s economic potential,” the EFF said.

It has urged students, unemployed graduates, young professionals, lecturers, academics, vice-chancellors, churches, traditional leaders, civil society organisations, workers, intellectuals and policymakers to engage in the public consultation process.

“We encourage all interested parties to make submissions and participate in discussions to ensure that this Bill is comprehensive, just and financially sustainable,” it said.

Over the next 30 days, the EFF will embark on nationwide consultative meetings with all stakeholders who are committed to seeing this Bill become law.

According to DHET, Nkabane was also actively engaging different student associations, university management, Universities South Africa and various TVET structures to ensure that challenges around student debt challenges remained a focus.

“These conversations are ongoing, and the minister has done well in trying to ensure that she achieves this. The recent allocation of funds for allowances going up by 46% for TVET colleges is one example. The minister has also announced the new NSFAS board; she met with them last Friday and there are already plans on the way to change the shape of that organisation.”

The draft Bill intends to address the plight of students by establishing Student Debt Relief Fund. Any student may, based on a set criterion, can apply to the fund to pay off their debt so that they can graduate or get their qualification.

Furthermore, the draft Bill will make provision for all students who have met their academic requirements to receive their qualifications irrespective of their debt to the institution of higher learning.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thapelo Molefe

KwaZulu-Natal’s education system is in crisis due to severe budget cuts, leaving the department struggling to maintain schools and pay for basic services. 

“Our problem is budget cuts,” said KZN head of education Nkosinathi Ngcobo. 

“We are left with 7% to do other things that need to be done. That’s the problem.”

In an interview with Inside Education following an oversight visit by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee of Basic Education last week, Ngcobo shed light on the dire financial situation plaguing the province’s education system. 

He said 93% of the department’s budget was allocated to employee compensation, leaving the department with little left to maintain schools, pay for utilities, or complete long-overdue infrastructure projects.

The department has been grappling with financial constraints since the 2020/2021 financial year, when budget cuts took effect. 

Ngcobo said the situation worsened when the National Treasury failed to provide additional funding for wage increases, forcing the department to absorb the cost.

“It is also caused by the fact that when wages increased by a certain percentage, the National Treasury did not give us that increment last year, and they said we must take it from our budget,” he explained.

“That’s how our budget was affected, and that makes it difficult to maintain schools, to pay for electricity and water.”

The committee observed that the lack of budget has affected various aspects, including maintenance at schools, delayed infrastructure projects, learner transport and even the frequency of meals provided through the National Schools Nutrition Programme.

Since the 2021/2022 financial year, the department has reduced its staff establishment by 4,231 posts, with 8,690 positions remaining vacant as of December 2024. 

Despite these reductions, the committee heard that the projected overspend for the provincial department for the 2025 year was R1.4 billion, as per January in-year monitoring against cost of employment (CoE), in the main.

The province’s Treasury told the committee that based on the provincial education’s budget submissions for 2025/26, it was estimated that there would be a shortfall of R2.7 billion on CoE.

Because CoE was protected, money would be moved from other line items to fund CoE.

Despite the financial strain, Ngcobo assured that employees’ salaries remain protected.

“We are not close to a point where employees won’t be getting paid. Salaries are protected,” he confirmed.

However, while employees can expect their salaries, service providers are not as fortunate. The department is struggling to meet payments to other service providers, further hampering its operations.

With financial pressures mounting, the department is looking to the National Treasury for relief.

“We will continue asking the Treasury to assist us,” Ngcobo said.

During the oversight visits to schools in the Ugu and Ilembe education districts, the committee came across several unfinished projects at schools where contractors had disappeared.

Acting committee chairperson Sedukanelo Tshepo Louw called on the national and provincial departments to follow up on these contractors.

“Consequence management is important. The department should do an investigation and should be able to tell us that they have opened a case against a contractor and we [are] going to recoup our money so that the schools can continue,” he said in a statement.

“The more we do not deal with those who take the public money and do not follow the right procedures, we will forever be in a disaster because we are giving money for free; it’s Christmas. There is no consequence management.”

He said that while the committee was aware of budget cuts, strategies could be implemented to respond to the current demands facing learners.

He also called on departments to review the quintile system for schools, as demographics have changed over the years, which in turn meant the quintile system should change.

INSIDE EDUCATION