LOBAMBA – Over E66 million allocated to the Ministry of Education went unused during the last government financial year, despite widespread challenges facing public schools across Eswatini.
The under expenditure was revealed on Wednesday during the ministry’s appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), where the Auditor General presented findings from the previous year’s financial statements.
According to the report, E65.9 million had been earmarked for schools in the Hhohho region, mainly for the hiring of teachers. The remaining amount was budgeted for career guidance, student grants, and other educational support programmes. However, the funds were not absorbed and remained idle until the close of the financial year.
The Auditor General told MPs the situation may have stemmed from either overbudgeting or delays in rolling out the planned programmes. He cautioned that the ministry should not have requested the release of funds it was not ready to use.
Nhlambeni MP and Deputy Chairperson of the PAC, lambasted the ministry’s failure to put the money to use while schools continued to struggle. He said government could have addressed urgent needs such as feeding schemes, teacher housing, and other services had the funds been properly allocated and spent.
“Teachers are without accommodation, pupils are attending school hungry, and yet E66 million was left unused. There’s no service delivery, and there’s clearly no value for money,” the MP said.
Zombodze Emuva MP Ntando Mkhonta echoed the concern, saying the money could have been channelled into other pressing needs across government, including road rehabilitation and fuel for public vehicles.
Responding to the committee, Ministry of Education Under Secretary Lungelo Nhlengetfwa blamed the under expenditure on procedural delays within government systems, which prevented the funds from being spent before the close of the financial year.
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