KZN pupils may face 2026 school year without textbooks

THOUSANDS of school pupils across KwaZulu-Natal could be forced to start next year’s studies without textbooks because the purchase order to produce the books has not been signed.

- THAMI MAGUBANE

Officials in the Department of Education (DoE) have blamed the provincial Treasury for the delay. However, the Treasury, which oversees the department's financial matters, has pushed back, stating that it cannot approve the purchase because Education has no money.

The KZN DoE is underwater financially and is expected to run out of money by the end of October. It is struggling to pay many service providers and has entered into delayed payment arrangements with some of them.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube met with the provincial government this week to discuss the department's challenges. She met with Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka, Finance MEC Francois Rodgers, and Premier Thami Ntuli, among others.

They jointly acknowledged that there are currently no legal or financial instruments that empower the national Department of Basic Education to directly provide additional funding to provinces. The only constitutional mechanism available is a Section 100 intervention in terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, which all parties agreed would not be desirable.