Free State and Northern Cape PEDs Annual Performance Plans, implementation of AGSA recommendations & anti-bullying strategies

Video The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education (the Committee) convened for briefings by the Free State and Northern Cape Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) on their Strategic Plans and Annual Performance Plans (APPs) including the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) recommendations, and implementation of anti-bullying strategies in schools. The briefings followed concerns that emanated about certain audit findings and issues in the APPs and Sector Audit Reports which the Committee had received from the Department of Basic Education (DBE). The Free State PED reported their results of the first two quarters of the 2025/26 financial year, indicating that the province had achieved 42 of the 81 APP targets (52 per cent) and 39 targets (48 per cent) were in progress. Concerns were raised that the baseline data used for determining the APP targets was neither accurate nor did it reflect the educational needs of the province. The Committee recommended that the province aligns its targets with the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 and focuses on empowering learners with technical and vocational skills to meet the demands of the changing labour market. The cash flow problem of the Free State PED was of serious concern to Members. The Committee acknowledged that underfunding by government during the Covid-19 period had contributed to the financial difficulties. But reprioritisation was necessary because of the poor economic situation at the time. The Committee was however disappointed about the lack of a proactive financial recovery plan to manage the crisis. The department reported an amount of R7.271 billion cash available as at the end of September 2025. The cash projection indicated that the remaining cash would not be sufficient to cover salaries and third-party payments for the last two months of the current financial year. A compounding factor was the existing court order relating to the non-payment or late payment of contributions to the Government Employee Medical Scheme (GEMS). The cost saving measures implemented were not sufficient to cover the more than R3 billion shortfall. The Free State department was being assisted by the national department to find a solution to the cash flow problem. The Committee proposed that the DBE engage National Treasury and the Fiscal and Finance Commission (FCC) on the funding model because the existing model proved to be ineffective. The Northern Cape PED results showed that the province had achieved 18 of the 58 APP targets (31 per cent) during the first and second quarters of the 2025/26 financial year. Similar concerns were raised about the validity of APP targets especially as it related to the provision of access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres which appeared to be based on outdated 2022 StatsSA surveys. The Committee proposed a review of the numbers in the five-year Strategic Plan. The non-implementation of the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) recommendations by the Northern Cape PED was of serious concern to the Committee particularly regarding findings of a historical nature, the lack of accountability, the filling of key positions, and enforcement of consequence management actions that have repeatedly been ignored. Not having senior officials in key management positions was impeding the monitoring of the implementation of recommendations. The Committee was informed that key vacancies could not be filled because the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) had continuously been rejecting the organisational structure since 2014, as it was found to be not fit for purpose. The realignment of the structure would result in a reduction in the number of posts from 2 000 to 1 200. The Committee would be provided with an updated organisational structure once the DPSA approval is obtained. The vacancy rate would be determined once the process is concluded. The Committee resolved that all officials should sign performance agreements and the DBE should enforce standardised and measurable consequence management plans to enforce accountability for not implementing audit action plans.