The Department of Basic Education built only one school this year, leaving critical infrastructure backlogs unaddressed in provinces such as Eastern Cape and Limpopo. Budget cuts, mismanagement and capacity issues continue to undermine efforts to improve school conditions, while overcrowded classrooms and pit latrines remain the norm in many areas. Experts warn that without urgent intervention, achieving the 2030 infrastructure goals is unlikely.

Listen to this article 13 min Listen to this article 13 min Despite having set a target of building six new schools for the past financial year, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) managed to construct only one and did not build or replace any schools in Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, or North West.

This represents a substantial decline from a decade ago, when, in the 2014/15 financial year, the DBE completed 32 schools in the Eastern Cape, 24 in Gauteng, 19 in Mpumalanga, 12 in KwaZulu-Natal and 13 in Limpopo.

The Western Cape provincial government recorded the highest number of schools built or renovated in the last financial year, with 39 projects completed, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with three and Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape, each completing one school.

These figures were disclosed by the department's director-general, Mathanzima Mweli, during a parliamentary select committee meeting, which focused on school infrastructure projects, including those for children with special needs.

Budget cuts to blame

The DBE acknowledged in its annual report that the target for the number of new schools built and completed through the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (Asidi) was not met.

Launched in 2011 to address critical...