Siviwe Gwarube to approach Treasury for Department of Basic Education budget cuts

The Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, said she will be meeting with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana

Her expected visit with Godongwana comes after the Western Cape announced that 2400 teachers would lose their jobs next year because of budget cuts

Gwarube is also set to meet with the MECs of Education from every province to discuss means of shielding schools from budget cuts

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, service delivery protests and heritage in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG—The Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, will meet the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, to discuss the Department of Education's budget cuts.

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Gwarube to meet Enoch Godongwana

IOL reported that Gwarube's date for her meeting with Godongwana has not been finalised, but it is considered an urgent meeting. This comes after the Western Cape provincial government revealed that 2400 teachers will lose their jobs in 2025 because of a budget cut worth billions.

Gwarube's spokesperson, Lukhanyo Vangqa, said the meeting will also discuss the possibility of Treasury allocating more money to the Department of Education. He added that bad policy decisions have resulted in a constrained fiscal environment for the country's economy.

Gwarube to meet with MECs

Gwarube also intends to meet the various Education MECs from each province.

"Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) get their Compensation of Employees Budget allocation directly from the National Treasury which sends it to the Provincial Treasury... Each PED handles its human resource management matters with the Provincial Treasury. However, when provincial departments feel strain, the entire nation feels the strain."

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Education Department to tackle pit toilets

In another Department of Education-related story, Briefly News reported that Gwarube said the Department would fight to end pit toilets in public schools.

Replying to a question in Parliament, Gwarube said the Department discovered that some schools still used pit latrines. South Africans did not believe her, and many took her words as a grain of salt.

Source: Briefly News