Enoch Godongwana allocated basic education an extra R376m on Wednesday, but offered nothing to save teacher posts, leaving a R78bn budget shortfall and provincial departments in a bind.

Provincial education departments are grappling with a severe budget shortfall of at least R78-billion next year. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana offered little help in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday, 30 October 2024.

Godongwana allocated an extra R376-million to the Department of Basic Education, far from what Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube says is needed to solve issues in education, where several provinces have suggested teacher posts could be at risk next year.

The finance minister reportedly told journalists ahead of his budget speech that the possible crisis in education was "self-inflicted". The additional R376-million will mostly go towards the rapid school infrastructure roll-out programme and to repair schools damaged by floods.

Gwarube's spokesperson Lukhanyo Vangqa told Daily Maverick that the minister welcomed the MTBPS and the additional R376-million.

However, Vangqa said, "Our analysis conducted in the Council of Education Ministers in September shows that the sector requires between R78-billion and R112-billion in additional funds to stay above the red line."

Gwarube has had talks with Godongwana and Treasury officials to impress upon them the dire financial situation of the education sector.

Vangqa said there were no additional funds for costs of employment as "such allocations...