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By Levy Masiteng
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has called on Premier Thami Ntuli and Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka to urgently address the funding crisis affecting the province’s special needs schools.
In a statement on Wednesday, Sakhile Mngadi, the DA’s spokesperson on Education, said several schools had been forced to close due to the provincial Department of Education’s repeated failure to pay subsidies on time.
Mngadi urged the Premier and MEC to immediately release overdue subsidies and provide emergency financial support for schools struggling to stay afloat.
“Accountability must be taken by officials responsible for this neglect,” he added.
Two schools have been hit particularly hard: Truro Prevocational School in Chatsworth, which has closed due to insolvency, and Pro Nobis School for Learners with Special Needs in Dundee, which faces imminent closure after months of delayed payments.
“These schools are struggling to pay staff and cover essential expenses such as electricity, security, and insurance,” Mngadi said.
“This is not an administrative oversight – it is a violation of the rights and dignity of KZN’s most vulnerable learners,” he said.
The DA noted that repeated appeals from school governing bodies and associations to the Department of Education have gone unheeded, with reports showing that the funding crisis in KZN schools is a recurring problem.
Last week, the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA) highlighted concerns over the deepening financial crisis faced by the KZN Education Department.
Earlier this year, the DA also called on the Gauteng Department of Education to account for unpaid school power bills, which had led to power cuts and disrupted learning.
At the start of 2025, the DA, together with teacher unions including the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) and NAPTOSA, warned that the R900 million pledged by the provincial government to address the funding crisis was insufficient.
“While this is a step in the right direction, it falls far short of what is needed. The Department of Education still has unpaid accruals, and hundreds of schools across the province continue to struggle due to months of delayed payments,” Mngadi said, noting that an additional R700 million is required to resolve all outstanding issues.
“The DA will continue to fight for every learner’s right to quality education and dignity, particularly those whose voices are the hardest to hear,” he said.
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