Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
17 April 2025 | 12:34 CAT

R5.2 million meant for school infrastructure has vanished, leaving learners to face another year in crumbling conditions.

Build One South Africa (BOSA) has voiced its fury following the shocking revelation that over R5.2 million, earmarked for critical school infrastructure in the Eastern Cape, has been misappropriated.

The disclosure, made in a written reply by Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube to a parliamentary question from BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane, exposes the glaring failure in financial accountability within one of South Africa’s most vulnerable provinces.

“This is not just a misappropriation of funds. This is theft. It’s criminal. It’s absolute corruption,” said BOSA spokesperson Roger Solomons in an interview with Radio Islam International. “We are outraged and angry. How many more millions have been stolen without being caught?”

The funds were meant to address dire infrastructural challenges in a province already burdened with dilapidated schools, pit latrines, and learners forced to study under trees. The Eastern Cape continues to rank at the bottom of national education performance indicators.

“The children of 2025 and 2026 will now suffer because of this theft,” said Solomons. “This isn’t just money gone—it’s a stolen future for an entire generation.”

BOSA has called for immediate accountability and is pressing for swift prosecution. “We’ve already contacted the Hawks,” Solomons confirmed. “We want answers: Who stole the money? Why hasn’t there been any prosecution? What systems allowed this to happen?”

The organisation also slammed what it describes as a “culture of protection and impunity” within the education sector, pointing fingers at internal investigations that have dragged on without consequence. Solomons highlighted concerns around the role of unions, particularly SADTU, in enabling delays and shielding wrongdoers.

“We will not rest,” Solomons vowed. “South Africans deserve a government that protects its people, delivers on its promises, and holds the corrupt accountable.”

As the investigation unfolds, BOSA has pledged to keep the public informed and to continue pressing for justice—starting with the return of the stolen millions meant to uplift education in one of South Africa’s most neglected provinces.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Roger Solomons here.