Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
27 September 2024 | 13:45 SAST
2-minute read

On this week’s Auwal Socioeconomic Research Institute Report (ASRI Report) Angelo Fick discusses the potential education budget crisis, criticism for President Ramaphosa’s focus on attracting international investment and coalition politics in major cities like Tshwane and Johannesburg.

The Department of Education has raised alarms over potential budget shortfalls in seven provinces, warning that these provincial budgets could run aground by 2027-2028. Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, has expressed concern over the deteriorating state of education funding, citing that the issues stem from decisions made by previous administrations.

The root of the problem lies in stagnant funding allocations to provincial education departments, which have not kept pace with rising costs, particularly public servant wage increases. This has placed a burden on provincial governments, forcing them to cover the wage increases without sufficient national support. As a result, many provinces, including the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, are now struggling to fill teaching positions, potentially increasing the learner-to-teacher ratio and further compromising the quality of education.

According to Angelo Fick, research director at ASRI, “There are fewer posts that will be funded, which means that the teacher-to-student or pupil ratio would increase.”

Minister Gwarube, who inherited these challenges from her predecessor, Angie Motshekga, now serving as the Minister of Defence, has entered negotiations with both provincial and national treasuries. She is advocating for reconsideration of the current austerity measures, which have prioritised other areas of government spending over education.

Despite being a cornerstone of South Africa’s development, education remains underfunded, and the consequences are becoming evident as the country continues to grapple with a high attrition rate, low literacy levels, and poor international rankings in math and science.

Speaking at the SA-US Interactive Business Forum in New York on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa promoted South Africa to foreign investors. His calls for international investment are seen as part of his administration’s broader strategy to attract global capital. However, critics argue that the focus on foreign investment and international priorities may be at odds with the domestic needs of the country, particularly when it comes to social issues such as education, unemployment, and housing.

Fick highlighted the contradiction between advocating for international human rights when the rights of the most vulnerable in South Africa are not being upheld, exemplifying his point of view with the recent eviction of homeless people from the Castle of Good Hope- a move, Fick points out, that is comparable to the removal of the Khoi and San from the same premises.

“We need a very careful consideration that the president and the South African government doesn’t argue internationally in ways that contradict some of its local policy priorities when it comes to poorer people and when it comes to people who are unemployed or homeless because that looks like hypocrisy,” Fick said.

Meanwhile, coalition politics in major cities like Tshwane and Johannesburg are in flux. The recent ousting of Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink highlights the instability within local government coalitions. The Democratic Alliance (DA) and ActionSA, once coalition partners, are now at odds, with ActionSA shifting its support. While Mayor Brink’s administration improved Tshwane’s financial management, public sector wage disputes led to his removal, signalling broader issues with coalition politics and governance across South Africa.

Listen to the ASRI Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Junaid Kharsany.