In a sudden U-turn on Tuesday, the Eastern Cape education department revealed it will, after all, fund personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement at the start of the academic year.

However, the announcement was greeted with outrage from some, who said the beleaguered department has “robbed Peter to pay Paul”.

Earlier, during a briefing on Friday, education MEC Fundile Gade said schools would be expected to procure their own PPE for the first term.

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