Eastern Cape education department is R2,8billion in the red

ALTHOUGH the Eastern Cape education department is facing a shortfall of about R2,8billion for the current financial year, the department is adamant that things are not as bad as they appear on paper.

At an education portfolio committee meeting at the legislature on Wednesday, figures presented to the committee by DA provincial spokesperson on education, Edmund van Vuuren, amounted to a R2,8billion shortfall. The allocated budget was R24,6billion.

Education MEC Mandla Makupula, pictured, and superintendent-general Modidima Mannya, who were present at the meeting, verified the figures but Mannya said it was premature to predict gloom.

Van Vuuren said the shortfall was due to R523million in current accruals, R1,2billion over-expenditure from the past two financial years, a R300million shortage in teacher remuneration after a miscalculation of teachers in the province and a further R800million for temporary teachers that were reinstated as per court order in March.

"The accruals include payments for scholar transport, outstanding payments for school nutrition dating back as far as 2005, and some teachers who are yet to be paid since the beginning of the year or even last year," said Van Vuuren.

But Mannya said the predicted deficit was premature and based on pure mathematical calculations as a lot could happen in the financial year to save money in some areas.

"There are shortfalls in certain areas, but a shift in priorities could be the solution," Mannya said.