KZN govt allocates R100m for early retirement applications

THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, which has recently declined all early retirement applications from its employees due to financial constraints, has received a lion's share of the province's budget, R168 billion.

- BONGANI HANS [e-mail]

Delivering the provincial budget at the provincial legislature in Pietermaritzburg yesterday, Finance MEC Francois Rodgers allocated R2 billion to education for the 2026/27,2027/28, and 2027/29 financial years.

The R168bn provincial budget included R136.4bn from provincial equitable shares and R27.3bn from the conditional grants.

As a result of formalising Grade R classes and including its teachers in the payroll, Rodgers allocated an additional amount of R29.8 million to education in the 2026/27 financial year. An amount of R59.5m and R101.6m have been allocated for the two next financial years.

“Grade R is now part of the compulsory phase of basic education, and the teachers should be remunerated accordingly.

“These funds are, therefore, added to our budget to progressively increase these teachers' salaries,” said Rodgers.