Opposition parties in KZN legislature welcome budget adjustment for education dept

DURBAN - Opposition parties in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature have welcomed the budget adjustment for the province’s education department.

Finance MEC Francious Rodgers tabled the R158 billion budget for the 2025/26 financial year on Tuesday.

The education department will be receiving a more than R4 billion increase compared to last year’s budget allocation.

The Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal has previously faced financial issues as a result of budget cuts.

But in Tuesday’s budget speech, the department was first in line for allocation.

This is something opposition parties have also praised.

The Economic Freedom Fighters’ Mongezi Twala said: "We welcome the Appropriation Bill and the additions budget allocation to two frontline departments, especially the department of education. The scholar transport, we welcome that the government of the province is going to inject some funds to the kids in rural areas for smooth teaching and learning."

The MK Party’s Chief Phathisizwe Chiliza said: "We support the adjustment budget. Kids from rural areas are still suffering, even today. The department of education used to say it doesn’t have a budget. Now the budget is there."

However, the parties warned that they would monitor how taxpayers' money was being used and would demand accountability where needed.