Question NW1456 to the Minister of Basic Education

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07 August 2017 - NW1456

Profile picture: Tarabella - Marchesi, Ms NI

Tarabella - Marchesi, Ms NI to ask the Minister of Basic Education

(1)What is the total amount that was (a) allocated to and (b) spent by each province as part of the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative in the 2016-17 financial year; (2) whether any funding was (a) withdrawn and/or (b) returned to the National Treasury as a result of underspending in each province; if so, (i) what amount was returned and/or withdrawn in each case and (ii) what were the reasons for underspending in each case?

Reply:

(1) (a) and (b) The allocation and Expenditure per Province:

Provinces

Column A

Column B

 

Allocation

Expenditure

 

2016/17

2016/17

 

R'000

R'000

Eastern Cape

1 543 664

614 915

Free State

237 487

166 524

KwaZulu-Natal

106 869

61 243

Limpopo

83 120

115 754

Mpumalanga

83 120

81 872

Northern Cape

23 749

122

North West

35 623

2 562

Total

2 113 632

1 042 992

(2) (a) & (b) (I & II) The School Infrastructure Backlogs Grant is not allocated to provinces but to the Department of Basic Education. The funding indicated above, therefore, depicts the value of projects implemented per province through the programme and not an allocation to a province. As a result, no funding was withdrawn or returned to National Treasury as a result of underspending in a province. The entire programme underspent by R 874 753 000. Reasons for under expenditure vary from programme to programme but they include, but not limited to poor performance by Implementing Agents and contractors, inclement weather, occasional shortage of building material and works disruption due to community led disruptions and industrial action. Poor contractor performance in all provinces and the procedure required to replace them also contributes to under expenditure. The process of rationalisation of small and unviable schools, especially in the Eastern Cape, also played a major role in the underperformance of the programme.

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