EC forfeits R200m Education Infrastructure Grant
The most impoverished province in the country in almost all aspects, with deteriorated and collapsing school infrastructures has yet again forfeited just over R200 million of its Education Infrastructure Grant back to the National Treasury. Despite this appalling decision, provincial spokesperson, Mali Mtini says the department is committed to providing safe and appropriate infrastructure in schools even against a myriad of challenges standing in its way.
Mtima says the department has identified schools in the province that need urgent attention and most have already been attended to while the school infrastructure backlog remains.
Two years later since the country was hit by Coronavirus, Mtima alleges that Covid-19 had a negative impact on the delivery of infrastructure projects that were identified by the department “Although plans were developed and approved to be implemented in the previous and current financial years, Covid 19 disruptions which included the closure (stop and go) of all sectors operations badly impacted the delivery of infrastructure projects as earlier projected by the department, “said Mtima.
Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance MPL Cassim Yussuf says this has proven the incapability of the department to spend the money. He further said that the R204.144 million in forfeited funds would most likely be distributed to other provinces that have proven they can spend the funds provided by the government.
