Learners in the Eastern Cape, especially within the outer-lying rural areas of the province, continue to attend school in buildings, classrooms, and structures that are not only dangerous, but drastically hampers the teaching and learning environment.

In the brutal winter months, learners must endure cold days in classrooms riddled with holes in the walls, floors, and roof.

The DA is calling on Education MEC, Fundile Gade, to do better. He must start holding officials who are failing to roll out critical infrastructure upgrades to account.

In response to a DA parliamentary question MEC Gade revealed that over the last four financial years, between 2019/20 and 2022/23, the Department budgeted for 5226 infrastructure projects, of which 3186 projects reported zero expenditure.

In 2019/20 there were 1 711 budgeted for projects, of which 704 had zero expenditure;
In 2020/21 there were 1 348 budgeted for projects, of which 980 had zero expenditure;
In 2021/22 there were 1 062 budgeted for projects, of which 721 had zero expenditure;
In 2022/23 there were 1 105 budgeted for projects, of which 781 had zero expenditure;

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Every failed project is an unfulfilled promise to communities seeking better lives for their children.

It is clear from spending patterns that the Department is simply incapable of project management. Of those contracts that do get implemented, most are fast-tracked halfway through a year, resulting in the bulk of the infrastructure budget being spent in the last quarter.

This results in the Department not being able to complete payment processes within the same financial year, causing under expenditure, contractors walking off sites due to non-payment, and increasing the risk of less funding being allocated in the following financial year.

The DA has already expressed concern that the first two months of spending for the new financial year are raising red flags. Of the 366 projects that should already be under construction, 265 have not recorded any expenditure.

Despite the repeated failings, this ANC-led government seems hell bent on doing the same thing over and over, while promising the public different results. It is clear the ANC does not care if children do not receive the facilities they were promised.

The DA government in the Western Cape cut the red tape when it comes to school infrastructure, which resulted in a school being built in just 65 days.

We need to do better. We need to keep our promises to the communities that we serve. The DA will continue to fight for learners to have adequate facilities that are conducive to learning.

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