DEAR Editor,-
While ceremonial matters such as the opening of facilities is customary, exorbitant costs to host these largely valueless events is unacceptable.
It is therefore shocking to learn that KZN’s Department of Education recently spent more than R8 million (some R4 million on advertising and a further R4 million on food and marquees) for school opening functions across the province just prior to elections.
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This while surrounding schools are falling apart.
This is money that could have gone a long way to improve perimeter fencing to make schools safer, to fix the pathetic state of toilets, buy new chalk boards and desks and to repair other ailing infrastructure.
In many cases, these pretentious functions are used to campaign and are turned into rallies by the ANC in this province.
This is unacceptable and the DA has called for this latest runaway expenditure to be raised at the next meeting of the province’s portfolio committee and for officials to be held answerable.
Oversight of the department and the executive must be enforced by the provincial education committee to curb costs.
The DA remains committed to ensuring that future expenditure is monitored and that amounts are reduced to more modest spends.
This is entirely possible. In the DA-led Western Cape, the Department of Education has low-key events and directs funds to delivering services instead.
This ANC-led government has clearly lost its way.
DR IMRAN KEEKA, MPL
DA Spokesman
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