The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has revealed that the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has spent over R186 million on management handling fees for Early Childhood Development (ECD), instead of using the funds to directly benefit children in schools.
According to a statement from Michael Waters MPL, DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Education, over the past five years, the Gauteng Department of Education has spent this amount on fees for a logistics company. The DA argues that these expenditures offer no tangible benefit to children's development in Gauteng.
This comes after MEC for Education in Gauteng, Matome Chiloane, responded to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL). MEC Chiloane explained that the management handling fees cover warehouse and distribution expenditures.
When questioned about why the department could not handle these duties in-house, Chiloane stated that “GDE lacks the capacity to provide warehousing and distribution services.”
The management handling fees were paid to Bongani Rainmaker Logistics, a company appointed through an open tender. The amounts paid per financial year are as follows:
2019/20: R13,018,689.20
2020/21: R40,271,967.90
2021/22: R36,450,850.51
2022/23: R61,131,196.60
2023/24: R35,306,357.44
Total: R186,179,061
The DA expressed shocked by the excessive expenditure on warehousing and delivery, especially given the budget constraints in the education sector.
They argue that the department should spend wisely on initiatives that directly benefit children rather than on questionable management fees.
Waters highlighted several issues facing Gauteng schools, such as poor infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, inadequate sanitation facilities, and unsafe asbestos classrooms.
He suggested that the funds used for the logistics company could have been better spent addressing these critical issues.
"It is high time that taxpayers’ money is spent responsibly for the benefit of our children. Those who oversee inefficiency and waste must be held accountable for squandering public funds on irrelevant initiatives," Waters said.
He emphasised that the DA prioritises efficient budget management and avoids outsourcing where possible.
"Where the DA governs, there is no room for outsourcing and spending on things a department can and should be able to do. In the Western Cape Government, the Department of Education excels in maximising available budgets to ensure quality education for every child, in every classroom, in every school."
Waters concluded by vowing that the DA will not rest until they obtain clear answers regarding the misuse of public funds. The DA plans to write to the Public Protector to request an immediate investigation into these questionable costs.
IOL