By Sihle Mavuso

KwaZulu-Natal’s departments of education and health face deductions from future budget allocations after the provincial Treasury tabled a bill to recover more than R1 billion in historic unauthorised expenditure.

The recovery forms part of the KwaZulu-Natal Second Unauthorised Expenditure Authorisation Bill, 2026, tabled by Finance MEC Francois Rodgers in the provincial legislature on Thursday.

The Department of Education faces the largest repayment, of about R955 million, while the Department of Health, faces a repayment of about R91 million.

The deductions are expected to be made over seven financial years.

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“Where departments have overspent their budgets, they should rightfully pay those amounts back to the Revenue Fund, as they spent money they did not have and were effectively operating in overdraft,” Rodgers told the legislature.

“The money must be repaid and, more importantly, controls should be implemented to prevent the same situation from recurring.

“Consequence management should be considered where there has been blatant financial misconduct by government officials,” he said.

Rodgers said the unauthorised expenditure that was not condoned would be recovered through future budget allocations.

“This, in effect, is a reduction in the budget of these departments and will be implemented over a period of seven years, given the fiscal constraints and the need to limit the impact on service delivery.”

The bill follows recommendations by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), which considered unauthorised expenditure incurred by provincial departments over several financial years.

Under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), unauthorised expenditure includes spending more than the amount appropriated for a vote or programme, or spending funds for purposes not approved by the legislature.

The move comes as the Department of Education is already under a Provincial Treasury intervention in terms of section 18 of the PFMA, after sustained cash-flow and financial governance problems.

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Under that intervention, the department’s spending is subject to tighter Treasury oversight. The department has faced pressure from unpaid commitments, compensation costs and operational demands, raising concerns about its ability to fund core services while settling old obligations.

The Auditor-General previously flagged KZN education as one of the departments that had incurred unauthorised expenditure for several consecutive years.

The bill records that part of the education department’s overspending related to infrastructure repairs after storm damage in 2019.

“Infrastructure Development reflects over-expenditure against goods and services due to higher property maintenance costs relating to the repair of schools damaged by storms in 2019 as the magnitude of damage was worse than anticipated,” the bill says.

The department also recorded over-expenditure in programmes including Administration, Public Ordinary School Education, Public Special School Education, Early Childhood Development and Infrastructure Development.

The bill says over-expenditure in Early Childhood Development was linked to pressure on compensation of employees following substantial budget reductions.

The Department of Health’s unauthorised expenditure dates back to the 2019/20 financial year and was linked to increased costs for the provision of HIV/Aids medication.

The bill will still have to proceed through the legislature’s law-making process.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Lynda Eagle

Play should sit naturally in early childhood education, as it reflects how young children come to know themselves, others and the world. 

Yet too often, play is the very space that requires the most protection. 

This tension usually arises from a culture that prioritises early academic achievement and holds the belief that accelerating formal learning guarantees future success.

When children are rushed or pressured into formalised academic outcomes too early, short-term gains may be visible for some, but the long-term cost can be significant, an education expert says.

Play is not separate from learning; it is the medium through which learning becomes possible.  

Early learning that prioritises performance over understanding risks weakening curiosity, motivation and wellbeing. 

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Strong foundations are built not through acceleration, but through experiences that nurture thinking, communication, collaboration, and joy – conditions that sustain lifelong learning.

Children engage with play in ways that reflect their own pace, interests, and needs.

It provides space for difference and diversity while offering opportunities for connection and shared experience. Importantly, play supports emotional regulation and prepares children for future learning by strengthening the foundations required for inquiry, reflection, and participation in real-world contexts.

Play and responsiveness are often described as abstract concepts, yet they require intentional commitment from both educators and families. 

Responsiveness asks adults to understand the value of play and to reflect on their role within it: how they observe, when they intervene, how they extend thinking, and how they remain present without directing or interfering. 

By engaging in careful observation and thoughtful support, adults come to know children more deeply, including learning about their interests, strengths, and emerging identities.

It also plays a big role in building key life skills – things like thinking deeply or critically, solving problems, working with others, communicating effectively, and self-management. When children play, they’re constantly exploring new ideas, testing their theories, inventing solutions, and figuring out how the world works. Along the way, they learn to take manageable risks and handle challenges. And, very importantly, to stick with things even when they’re difficult, which gradually builds their confidence and a real mindset for growth.

Partnerships between families and educators are central to this work. 

Together, they can create learning experiences that balance freedom and structure, offering both flexibility and clear boundaries. This balance provides children with emotional safety while teaching respect for themselves, for others, and for the environment. Such stability supports the development of empathy, resilience, and perseverance.

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Within these conditions, children form relationships, make connections, and gradually become independent learners. They develop conceptual understanding and learn to reason, transfer knowledge, and apply ideas in new contexts, moving from concrete experience toward more abstract thinking.

Any tension between our aspirations for children and our understanding of play and responsiveness deserves careful reflection. 

When adults deepen their understanding of why play matters and how responsiveness supports learning, they are better positioned to guide children with intention and trust. 

Ultimately, early learning is not only about what children know, but about how they think, how they relate to others, and how they come to see themselves in the world, a world full of possibility.

Lynda Eagle is  Advtech Schools Specialist: Early Years Phase.

INSIDE EDUCATION