By Dulandi Leech – DA Education Spokesperson in the Free State Legislature
Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Dulandi Leech MPL and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL
The DA is appalled by the Auditor-General’s findings on the Free State Department of Education, shared in a presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Public Accounts and Finance this past Wednesday.
The department, often seen as the “prefect” of the Free State Government, has demonstrated alarming financial irresponsibility. This is now the second largest contributor to irregular expenditure, totaling R208.55 million, and has accumulated an additional R163.6 million in unauthorized expenditure. Even more concerning is the department’s staggering overdraft of R1.7 billion.
The mismanagement extends to the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI), where duplicate or missing ID numbers were found for 89 teacher assistants, while 321 assistants already receiving NSFAS bursaries were also hired by the department. Additionally, 121 assistants already had government positions, and 73 were over the age limit for the program. This disarray in management and oversight reveals a lack of accountability that ultimately undermines the education quality for Free State learners.
This gross mismanagement, coupled with unchecked spending, directly compromises the department’s ability to prioritize resources for educational programs, infrastructure, and teacher support that our children so urgently need. The DA will hold the Department of Education accountable and push for comprehensive reforms to prevent further abuse of public funds. We call for immediate action to bring financial accountability and stability to the Free State education system.