Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Michael Waters MPL.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has revealed in a circular dated 29 October 2026 that it will not pay schools their full second tranche of Norms and Standards funding by the legally prescribed deadline of 15 November 2026. Instead, payments will be in instalments until March 2027, subject to cash availability. This decision has created financial uncertainty for thousands of schools and could affect the quality of education that millions of learners get.
The DA demands that Premier Panyaza Lesufi, the MEC for Finance, Nkulueko Dunga and MEC for Education, Lebogang Maile, urgently disclose how much first-tranche funding remains unpaid, how much of the second tranche will be transferred by 15 November 2026, and publish a binding, school-by-school payment schedule. They must also explain how they will prevent further electricity cuts and present a credible financial recovery plan for school funding for 2027.
See circular here.
The GDE’s recent revelations highlight the department’s failure to pay schools their full first tranche, with R971 million outstanding as of 14 September 2026, including R250.9 million owed to 129 public special schools. This indicates that the department has failed to resolve the initial funding crisis while expecting schools to plan for the 2027 academic year without clarity on when they will receive their allocations.
The consequences are serious. Schools must pay municipal accounts, purchase textbooks and stationery, maintain infrastructure, and settle service providers to keep classrooms operational.
It is suspicious that a province experiencing financial constraints resulting in a 64% decrease in funding for Quintile 5 schools and delayed subsidy payments was able to allocate R3.806 billion in 2024/25 and R5.476 billion in 2025/26 for e-toll debt. Surely, the provincial government cannot keep allocating billions to failed projects while schools are struggling.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would prioritise education funding for the benefit of all learners in the province. We would ensure schools are funded on time, protect education budgets, cut wasteful expenditure, prioritise essential services, and hold officials accountable to protect learners from the government’s financial failures.