No Money Available to Repair KZN Schools Damaged in Riots, R140 Million Needed

• More than R140 million is needed to repair schools that were damaged during the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng
• Education MEC in KwaZulu-Natal Kwazi Mshengu stated the province does not have the funds required
• Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, Basic Education Committee chairperson, says money to repair schools will have to be taken from other projects

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Basic Education Committee chairperson Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba places the cost of damaged schools due to the riots that took place last month at R141 million.

BusinessLIVE reports that about 158 schools were damaged and vandalised amid unrest in both KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng and there is no indication whether the government will be able to fix damaged schools.

The recent schools that have been damaged add to the list of schools that were damaged during coronavirus lockdown in the past.

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Education MEC in KwaZulu-Natal says the province does not have the money to repair schools

KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu in a briefing to members of Parliament on Tuesday stated that the department does not have more than R100 million that is needed to begin repairing schools, according to EWN.

Mshengu stated that his department has raised this issue with various structures of government such as the Provincial Treasury as well as the office of Premier Sihle Zikalala and were informed that as it stands, there are no funds.

Mbinqo-Gigaba stated the money required to repair schools would have to be taken from other projects as this money was not budgeted for by the Department of Basic Education.

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Briefly News previously reported that the number of schools damaged in KwaZulu-Natal as a result of last week's violent protests has grown to 139 from the initial 50 schools reported earlier this week.

Department of Basic Education in KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi stated that education centres and two circuit offices were also damaged in the unrest, according to News24.

Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu visited some of the damaged schools in the uMlazi district and stated that the department will provide mobile classrooms for schools that suffered damage, according to a report by East Coast Radio.

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Source: Briefly News