Mmusi Maimane Demands Forensic Audit into Basic Education Spending
By Mpho Moloi
Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane has called on Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke to urgently initiate a forensic audit into the Department of Basic Education’s (DBE) 2024/25 budget expenditure, amid mounting allegations of mismanagement, corruption, and a crumbling public school system.
In a formal letter seen by Central News, Maimane outlines a series of systemic failures — from unpaid nutrition and scholar transport providers to chronic infrastructure neglect — which he argues collectively represent a breach of the constitutional right to education. He warned that proceeding with another R300-billion allocation without scrutiny would be “reckless and irresponsible.”
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Maimane: “We Cannot Afford Another Year of Harmful Budgeting”
Maimane stated that any new education budget must be grounded in accountability and transparency, particularly in light of the department’s ongoing failures to account for previous allocations.
“It would be reckless and irresponsible to allocate another tranche of more than R300-billion to a department plagued by unresolved irregularities, widespread underspending, and chronic service delivery failures without first accounting for how last year’s funding was used or misused,” said Maimane.
He added that a forensic investigation is essential not just for accountability, but for the credibility of the 2025/2026 budget process currently before Parliament.
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A Crisis of Hunger, Transport, and Unsafe Classrooms
The letter paints a grim picture of South Africa’s basic education landscape, highlighting how children across the country are being denied access to safe learning environments and basic nutrition.
Among the key issues raised:
• Unpaid National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) contractors, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, where a R2-billion scandal left millions of learners food-insecure.
• Over 1 million learners in Gauteng were affected by delays in appointing new nutrition contractors in 2024.
• In the North West and Eastern Cape, scholar transport operators have reportedly not been paid since January, leaving learners with no safe means to reach school.
• The Northern Cape is struggling with a R358-million education budget shortfall.
These issues, Maimane warned, are not isolated administrative blunders, but rather signs of a deeply dysfunctional education delivery system.
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Underfunded Infrastructure and Teacher Shortages
Maimane also cited alarming statistics from the department’s own data:
• 8,222 schools require additional classrooms, estimated at R32 billion.
• 13,485 schools need more toilets, with a projected cost of R14 billion.
• Yet, only R15.3 million was allocated through the Education Infrastructure Grant — a figure he described as “shockingly inadequate.”
He also noted that staffing shortfalls were compounding the crisis:
• The system is grappling with a R3.8 billion staffing deficit.
• Nationally, there is a 21% teacher vacancy rate, creating immense strain on remaining educators and learners.
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Provinces Left to Sink
According to Maimane, the Department of Basic Education has abdicated its responsibility to monitor and support provincial delivery, leading to chaos across provinces.
“Province-level crises have exposed how the department’s failure to monitor and support provincial education delivery results in chaos,” Maimane stated.
He cited a lack of oversight that has left provincial education departments vulnerable to mismanagement, budget collapses, and poor service delivery.
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“Violation of the Constitution”
Maimane’s letter doesn’t only focus on fiscal irregularities. He argues that the failures outlined above represent a violation of Section 29 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to basic education for all.
“This is not merely a result of poor management. It represents a violation of the constitutional right to basic education. A direct attack on the future of South African children,” he wrote.
He also noted that the education system’s collapse exacerbates inequality, particularly for children in poor and rural communities who are most dependent on public education.
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Legal and Legislative Action Urged
Maimane called on Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke to use her powers under Section 5A of the Public Audit Act, which allows for:
• Binding remedial action, and
• Referral of misconduct findings for prosecution or further investigation.
He stressed the need for an immediate forensic investigation into all 2024/25 financial activity within the department.
“We cannot afford another year of failed, opaque, and harmful budgeting. A forensic investigation is not only necessary for accountability — it is essential for the credibility of the 2025/2026 allocation process now underway in Parliament.”
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NSFAS, Education Infrastructure, and Broader Sectoral Failures
Maimane’s call for accountability echoes growing public frustration over broader issues in the education sector, including:
• NSFAS disbursement delays affecting university and TVET students.
• School infrastructure projects stalled or abandoned due to mismanagement or underfunding.
• An increasing reliance on underqualified teachers and overcrowded classrooms, further undermining learning outcomes.
• Inconsistent or missing school nutrition support, especially in rural provinces.
The BOSA leader said any future allocation to the Department of Basic Education must be contingent on a clean audit and proof of corrective action.
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Call to Action: “Fix Basic Education Before It Fails a Generation”
Maimane urged civil society, parents, and educators to demand transparency and reform in the education system, warning that another year of inaction would risk permanent damage to South Africa’s future.
“This is vital to renewing and fixing basic education in South Africa. It starts with knowing where the money is going — or not going — and ensuring that every cent is used to support learners.”
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