By Thapelo Molefe
Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile has rejected claims that money meant for schools was spent on office accommodation, saying the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) does not procure or lease office space.
Maile said office accommodation is procured and managed by the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development, which serves as the custodian of provincial immovable assets in terms of the Government Immovable Asset Management Act. The GDE, however, is responsible for rental payments for leased district office accommodation.
“The Gauteng Department of Education does not procure office accommodation, enter into lease agreements for such accommodation, or administer a budget for the procurement of office accommodation,” he said in a statement issued on Thursday.
Maile’s rejection follows claims by Democratic Alliance Gauteng education spokesperson Michael Waters that the provincial government spends more than R230 million a year on rented and operating costs for GDE district offices while schools face significant funding shortfalls.
Waters said in July that 10 of the GDE’s 15 district offices were housed in privately owned buildings, citing a written response by Maile to questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.
According to the information, the province spends R15.27 million a month, or R183.2 million a year, on rent for the 10 privately owned district offices.
A further R47.2 million is spent annually on municipal services, bringing the total to more than R230 million a year.
Waters questioned why government-owned buildings were not being used for the district offices, particularly while schools were facing funding pressures.
“The fact that two-thirds of the department’s district offices are housed in privately leased buildings raises serious questions about whether the Provincial Government is making the best use of its own property portfolio or unnecessarily enriching private landlords at taxpayers’ expense,” Waters said.
He said the spending was concerning because it came at a time when the GDE had reduced the per-learner allocation to affected Quintile 5 schools by about 64%.
“The Premier Panyaza Lesufi-led government cannot claim there is no money while spending millions of rand on leasing office space,” Waters said.
But the department said in its statement: “Any suggestion that the Gauteng Department of Education has spent money on office accommodation at the expense of school funding is mischievous and misleading.”
Maile said the GDE remains responsible for funding schools in accordance with the South African Schools Act and the National Norms and Standards for School Funding.
For 2026, the national target amounts are R1,835 per learner for Quintile 1 to 3 schools, R919 per learner for Quintile 4 schools and R315 per learner for Quintile 5 schools.
“The Gauteng Department of Education has not deviated from these prescribed funding requirements,” the department said.
“School funding has not been reduced or redirected by the Department for the procurement of office accommodation.”
The GDE has previously said the reduction in the Quintile 5 per-learner allocation was a realignment to nationally prescribed funding targets rather than an arbitrary cut to the education budget.
Waters has called for further investigation into why the district offices are housed in privately leased buildings and whether suitable government-owned properties could be used instead.
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