Premier Ntuli demands accountability amidst KZN's government crisis

IN A BID to get his KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial government in order, Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has called for accountability from his MECs amid the struggles of the Department of Health and the limping-along Department of Education.

Ntuli held a marathon media briefing with all members of the Provincial Executive Council (MECs) present, following its normal cabinet meeting in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday.  

The briefing came as the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department, led by MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Mngadi, faced a financial crisis, having racked up an alarming R1.7 billion debt to service providers. 

As a result, several key health projects had to be halted, leading to a protest outside the provincial headquarters in Pietermaritzburg on Monday. The angry service providers blocked the entrance, demanding their overdue payments.’

Ntuli condemned the actions of the protestors, saying, “We also wish to condemn the barricading of the offices of the Department of Health by disgruntled service providers, on Monday. No dispute, however large, should be resolved through violence in KwaZulu-Natal. We live in a constitutional democracy and we must always use legal avenues to settle our disagreements.”

Simelane-Mngadi, while addressing the matter, confirmed the R1.7 billion debt and explained that the department was cutting back on certain projects to free up funds to pay service providers.

“We are dealing with the issue, and we will cut some projects and divert the saved funds toward payments to service providers,” she said. She also mentioned that negotiations were underway with service providers, including those with monthly payments over R500,000, to spread their invoices over two months.

The department’s financial difficulties have caused significant disruptions to health services across the province, with several service providers halting operations due to unpaid invoices.

On the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), which had more than 1700 services, Ntuli said the 22% unpaid service providers of the NSNP, under the education department, would receive their payments on Friday, May 9. 

“We are pleased to report that on April 24, 2025, at least 78% of the payments had been successfully processed. Attempts to finalise the remaining payments on April 25 and May 2 were unsuccessful. This was due to technical difficulties linked to the new financial system, BAS Version 6, said Ntuli. 

The department of education was also battling increased controversy stemming from the non-payment of Grade R teachers in KZN. 

The Daily News' report, this week, highlighted their plight after they were not paid their April salaries. Many teachers, including Nondumiso Ngcobo, a Grade R teacher at Motala Primary School in Pinetown, said the non-payment has plunged her finances into disarray.

Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka said: “It is not true that some teachers won’t be paid. In terms of the educators for Grade 1, there was a challenge because, we unfortunately did not renew their contracts in time. But they have been paid."

He added: "We are human beings and we make mistakes."   

Premier Ntuli said MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma had indicated that R4.6 billion worth of tenders and contractors were failing to deliver, with some abandoning road construction projects. 

“The above challenges have led to significant delays in infrastructure upgrades. The Department of Transport and Human Settlements remained steadfast on accountability and efficiency, and will ensure that fellow citizens see value for money and roads are of service,” said Ntuli. 

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