National education minister Siviwe Gwarube has called a meeting with the KwaZulu-Natal government over the province's failing education department.
On Saturday Gwarube's office said she will undertake an urgent visit to KwaZulu-Natal on Monday to meet premier Thami Ntuli, education MEC Sipho Mhlomuka, finance MEC Francois Rodgers as well as senior officials from the national and provincial departments.
"The meeting will discuss the serious financial challenges besetting the province and propose a financial recovery plan for the provincial education department to ensure stability and continuity in the delivery of education services in the province."
The meeting comes after KwaZulu-Natal finance Rodgers put the beleaguered ANC-led education department on terms last month.
“I have legislated powers in terms of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) to act in any department if there are allegations of mismanagement of public funds,” he said.
Provincial Treasury spokesperson Nkosikhona Duma said by March the education department had overspent its budget, prompting intervention from the Treasury.
He said Rodgers had acted in terms of his legislated powers and responsibilities in terms of the PMFA to “intervene by taking appropriate steps, which may include the withholding of funds, to address a serious or persistent material breach of the act by a provincial department”.
TimesLIVE
