SowetanLive reports that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) education MEC Kwazi Mshengu says a R6.3bn budget cut will severely affect pupils, teachers and the building and renovation of schools.

Speaking at his department’s budget vote for 2021 on Thursday, Mshengu said the budget cuts over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) meant that the available budget would not sufficiently cater for both filled and vacant personnel numbers on the system. The allocated budget of just more than R53bn has been spread thinly to cover various costs, including administration, public ordinary school education, independent school subsidies, infrastructure development, early childhood development, and examination and education-related services. “The effect of the budget cuts of R6.3bn will severely be felt by learners in the classroom. Because of these budget cuts, it is now a reality that we will have classrooms that will be left without educators; that schools will not be sufficiently supported by district offices; that head offices will not be able to effectively support the entire system,” Mshengu said. He went on to add: “Cutting off unnecessary and unapproved travelling of staff members; limiting approved travelling kilometres to 1,750; capping KZN cars' petrol cards to R3,000 a month; cutting on legal costs; proper management of staff leave and exit packages; and consolidation of small and non-viable schools — these measures will not fully mitigate against the effect of budget cuts.”

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mluleki Mdletshe at SowetanLive

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