EFF statement on government’s failure to build schools
27 November 2024
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are appalled, though not surprised, by the revelations made during a recent parliamentary portfolio committee meeting, where the Department of Basic Education admitted that no schools were built or replaced in the Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, and North West during the 2023-24 financial year. This disgraceful dereliction of duty is yet another indictment of a govemment that consistently demonstrates nothing but contempt for the future of our children, particularly those from impoverished and marginalised communities.
The Eastern Cape, despite receiving RI .8 billion for school infrastructure, spent only 70% of its budget. Limpopo's situation is even more dire, with only 41% of its RI.5 billion allocation spent. This underperformance is not a mere administrative failure—it is a calculated act of neglect that leaves children in overcrowded classrooms, without adequate facilities, and trapped in a cycle of poverty.
This shocking inaction stands in stark contrast to a decade ago, when in the 2014-15 financial year, the Department of Basic Education completed 32 schools in the Eastern Cape, 24 in Gauteng, 19 in Mpumalanga, 12 in KwaZuIu-Natal, and 13 in Limpopo.
The decline is a clear indication of the ANC government's regression and its deepening incompetence. How is it possible that in 2023, with greater resources and technological advancements, fewer schools are being built than ten years ago?
The EFF also notes the government's continued failure to eradicate pit latrines, with over 3,900 still in use across South African schools. Despite repeated promises and initiatives, such as the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) initiative launched in 2018, the ANC government has failed to address even the most basic sanitation needs. Adequate budgets have been allocated year after year to eradicate these pit toilets, yet the ANC government has squandered these funds. This is not just incompetence; it is a crime against the children of this nation. The persistent presence of pit latrines is a clear indicator of the government’s disdain for the lives and dignity of black children, especially those in rural areas.
The Department's excuse of budget cuts is an insult to every child who continues to learn in overcrowded, dilapidated classrooms, with pit latrines that pose a daily threat to their safety and dignity. In fact, the DA-led Department of Basic Education spent a staggering R3.6 billion printing matric exam papers using private service providers.
This is in stark contrast to the less than RI billion it cost the government when using existing state printing infrastructure the previous year. This gross misuse of funds, facilitated by the DA is a blatant act of corruption aimed at enriching their white business partners.
The DA's reckless spending of R2.6 billion more on printing matric exams—solely to benefit their private interests—exposes their utter disregard for the African child. Just like the ANC, the DA has no intention of eradicating pit latrines, building enough schools, ending overcrowded classrooms, or replacing mud schools. Under the so-called Government of National Unity (GNU), they continue the ANC's legacy of neglect, prioritising white capital while African children suffer in unsafe, dilapidated conditions.
The EFF reiterates that the fight for quality education is a fight for economic freedom and social justice. We refuse to accept a reality where our children are condemned to inferior learning conditions while billions are squandered or underspent. We demand immediate accountability from the Department of Basic Education and an end to the institutionalised neglect of our children.
The EFF stands with the children of South Africa, and we will continue to fight tirelessly to ensure that every child has access to quality education, safe learning environments, and the dignity they deserve.
Issued by Leigh-Ann Mathys, National Spokesperson, EFF, 28 November 2024
