[ad_1]
Parliament’s education committees will seek legal opinion on the adoption of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) budget, which has changed due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Tuesday, the Department and the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, heard a joint meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education and the Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture.
The department’s annual performance plan (APP) was presented to parliament in March, before the national disaster state was declared.
The application, therefore, will have to be adjusted, the department explained. Funds will now have to be moved and redirected from infrastructure for Covid-19 compliant schools, including in water and sanitation.
The department’s director general, Mathanzima Mweli, said they will lose R135 billion in the medium-term spending framework. The money from the educational infrastructure grant will be used for purchases related to Covid-19, such as disinfectants and personal protective equipment.
Also, the basic education department is not eligible to receive funds from the R500 billion aid package.
“The world is very different,” said Motshekga.
The minister and Mweli are concerned about the legality of spending a budget that has not been approved by Parliament.
The committee shared this concern and resolved to obtain a legal opinion on how to deal with the APP before its meeting next week.
In a statement released after the meeting, the chairman of the portfolio committee, Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, said a follow-up meeting will be necessary after the department has adjusted its plans.
“At this point, we can take note of the report. Covid-19 happened to all of us unexpectedly. DBE is now unlikely to implement its plans as planned.”
“If you wanted to visit a school, it cannot happen. If you wanted to train teachers or a governing body of the school, that cannot happen. The DBE will not be able to spend the money as planned.”
READ | Freelancers and commission winners who fell through the cracks
Select committee chairman Elleck Nchabeleng said that all new and unexpected activities regarding Covid-19 should be included in the redesigned plan.
PPPs are part of the budget process: it is a document that explains how the department will spend its budget, and Parliament’s approval of PPPs is required for the budget process to continue.
[ad_2]
