MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya: Limpopo Education Budget Vote 2025/2026

Honourable Speaker
Deputy Speaker
Honourable Premier
Honourable colleagues in the Executive Council
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee
Chair of Chairs
Leadership of the African National Congress
Leaders of the Opposition Parties
Royal Leaders
Religious Leaders
Stakeholders in Education (SGB Associations and UNIONS)
LDoE Acting Head of Department and other Heads of Departments Present
Partners from the Education Sector
Distinguished Guests
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
Ndi Matsheloni, Avuxeni, Thobela, Good Morning.

Let me begin with the timeless words of Nelson Mandela, who reminded us that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Today, we gather not merely to allocate resources but to sharpen that weapon, to ignite minds, and to dismantle the barriers of inequality that still shadow our beloved province. In the spirit of Steve Biko, who declared that “the greatest weapon in the hand of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed,” we stand here to reclaim minds. To ensure that every child in Limpopo, from the valleys of Vhembe to the plains of Sekhukhune, is armed with knowledge, dignity, and the unshakable belief that their dreams are valid.

Honourable Speaker,

The great Tshivenda proverb, “Mushumo wu tshavha zwanda” is not a slogan. It is our battle cry. As we declare 2025 the Year of Teacher Development and Academic Excellence, we do so with the urgency of a province on the rise, yet acutely aware of the cracks in our foundation. The poet Maya Angelou once wrote, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” Today, we know better. We know that education is the cornerstone of justice. We understand that a child at Ga-Mashashane deserves the same quality of education as a child in Sandton. And so, today, we do better.

This budget is more than numbers. It is a covenant. A covenant with the grandmother in Giyani who sells peanuts to ensure that a child has uniform to wear to school. A covenant with the young teacher in Lephalale who stays late to tutor learners. A covenant with the 1.8 million learners of Limpopo, whose futures depend on our courage to act boldly and act now. This budget is not just about numbers; it is about people. 

Our children, our teachers, and our communities. It is about building a brighter future for Limpopo, where every child has access to quality education and the opportunity to succeed.

Honourable Members,

To support critical education programmes, we have allocated the following Conditional Grants:

National School Nutrition Programme Grant – R1.848 billion

The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) is the heartbeat of dignity and equity in Limpopo’s education system. With R1.8 billion, this grant ensures that 1.4 million learners, many from households battling poverty, receive a nutritious daily meal, transforming classrooms into sanctuaries of hope. The NSNP programme combats the dual crises of malnutrition and absenteeism.

The NSNP ensures that learners from Venda to Sekhukhune receive daily nutritious meals, boosting attendance, concentration, and academic performance. For a child in rural Mopani, this meal may be their only guaranteed source of sustenance, enabling them to concentrate on their lessons rather than worrying about an empty stomach. The programme also advances the UN commitment to “eradicate hunger as a barrier to learning” and operationalizes the Freedom Charter’s principle that “no child shall go hungry while learning.”

Critically, the NSNP is a catalyst for gender equality as girls who are often the first to drop out when families face food insecurity are retained in schools. Beyond nutrition, the programme empowers local economies, as a large portion of the food is sourced from small hold farmers and cooperatives, stimulating agrarian livelihoods in villages such as Ga-Mothapo and Lepelle. This intersection of social justice and economic inclusion embodies the  vision government of the Day’s vision of “radical socioeconomic transformation.” By investing in the NSNP, we are not just feeding bodies; we are nourishing minds, restoring dignity, and breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty

Education Infrastructure Grant 

The Education Infrastructure Grant is the cornerstone of Limpopo’s mission to dismantle the spatial and structural legacy of apartheid. With R1.567 billion, we are erasing the indignity of learning and teaching under trees, the use of pit latrines and ubereable overcrowded classrooms, directly advancing nclusive, safe learning environments, amd resilient infrastructure. This grant fuels the construction of new schools and the replacement of unsafe pit toilets. We recognize that a conducive learning environment is essential for academic success.

Honourable Speaker, DBE has commended the good work done by the province in our endeavor to create safe learning environment. We proud to announce that of the 391 schools identified for eradication of Pit Toilets, we are only left with one school that will soon be finalized. 2023 was declared a year of Infrastructure and we have stretched ourselves to ensure that Pit Toilets are completely removed from our schools.

We made commitment in this house that Polokwane will receive additional school infrastructure to ease the admission burden. We are still on course with the plan and currently finalizing the drawings for the state of the art schools. The procurement of contractors will happen in the coming weeks and we also expect construction to start this year.

Honourable speaker, there is an  additional allocated for R100 million for storm-damaged and disaster-affected schools, is not just for constructing a structure, it is about restoring dignity, safety, and hope to learners who have endured the indignity of learning under trees and unsafe enviornment. Furthermore, R2 million has been earmarked for head office maintenance from the equitable share.

Progress in 2024/25: A Foundation of Success

Last year, we completed major upgrades at 15 schools, including:

• Seshego Secondary School
• Mphareng Primary School
• John Xikundu Primary School 

We also delivered water infrastructure to 82 schools and safe sanitation to 89 schools, directly combating health risks and advancing our course for the provisioning of clean water and sanitation. The construction of Asiphumelele Special School is underway, a milestone in our commitment to inclusive education for learners with disabilities.
2025/26 Priorities: Accelerating Transformation

This year, we are:

• Upgrading 54 schools (e.g., Chita Kekana Secondary and Vallambrosa Primary) with new classrooms, laboratories, and admin blocks.
• Refurbishing 106 schools such as Lekoko Secondary and Ukuthula Primary to address maintenance backlogs.
• Over 70% of projects target villages like Makhwese and Nkatini, erasing the rural-urban infrastructure divide.

Key Projects Under Construction (Completion by 2025/26):

We have over 20 school projects that are currently Under Construction with the likes of:

• Naledi Ya Meso Secondary School
• Matsobane Primary School
• St. Paul Secondary School

We are Replacing pit latrines and storm-damaged roofs ensures no child risks their health or dignity to learn.
Over a thousand local jobs have been created through infrastructure projects, aligning with the government’s priority of creating decent jobs.

Special schools like Asiphumelele and disability upgrades at St. Paul Secondary operationalise the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Early Childhood Development Grant – R295.968 million

The Early Childhood Development (ECD) Grant is the foundation of our lifelong learning journey, directly advancing access to quality pre-primary education and the commitment to “build futures from the ground up.” With the allocation, we are expanding access to ECD centres, ensuring children aged 0–5 receive stimulation, nutrition, and care critical for cognitive and emotional development. R23 186 million has been earmarked for ECD infrastructure as part of the total budget.

This grant supports the training of numerous Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners in the National Curriculum Framework, equipping them to foster curiosity and resilience in children. We bridge the rural-urban divide, ensuring that a toddler in Molemole has the same developmental opportunities as one in Polokwane. This aligns with the NDP’s vision of “90% school readiness by 2030” and the Millennium Development Goal 2 (universal primary education), laying a foundation where no child starts Grade R already behind.

Maths, Science and Technology Grant – R52.584 million

Honourable Speaker, this grant is Limpopo’s strategic investment in skills for the digital economy and innovation and research. With the R52.584 million allocation, we are transforming a considerable number of secondary schools into STEM powerhouses by equipping them with laboratories and training educators in advanced pedagogy.

The grant funds robotics kits, inspiring learners, especially girls, to pursue careers in engineering, data science, and renewable energy. This responds directly to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Strategy and the NDP’s call to “produce 30,000 new scientists by 2030.” By prioritising various districts in Mopani, Capricorn, Waterberg, Vhembe, and Sekhukhune, we dismantle the myth that rural learners cannot lead technological innovation.

Learners with Severe Profound Intellectual Disability Grant – R37.898 million

Honourable Speaker, This grant aligns with inclusive education and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. With R37.898 million, we are resourcing special schools and full-service schools with speech therapists and individualised learning plans. The grant also trains caregivers in assistive care. By procuring adaptive devices and mobility aids, we affirm the Freedom Charter’s promise that “all shall enjoy equal human rights,” ensuring learners with profound disabilities are not merely accommodated but celebrated as integral members of our educational community.

HIV/AIDS (Life Skills Education) Grant – R29.504 million

This allocation is a lifeline in the fight against HIV/AIDS, advancing the effort to drastrically reduce the number of infections by 20230. With R29.504 million, we integrate comprehensive life skills education into the curriculum for learners, empowering them with knowledge to prevent infections, combat stigma, and make informed health choices. Peer education programmes in high-risk schools, led by trained youth ambassadors, reduce teen pregnancies and new HIV infections. By partnering with NGOs such as Love-Life and SANAC, we will transform classrooms into hubs of health advocacy, ensuring that learners are not only academically skilled but also socially conscious citizens.

EPWP Integrated Grant – R15.847 million

The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Grant merges job creation with education, advancing our goal for creating decent work for all. With R15.847 million, we will employ youth and women from disadvantaged communities as school maintenance assistants, library aides, and sports coaches. This grant not only improves school infrastructure but also provides vocational training in plumbing, electrical work, and ICT, creating pathways to permanent employment. By targeting unemployed graduates and persons with disabilities, we operationalise the NDP’s inclusive growth agenda, ensuring that economic empowerment is woven into the fabric of education delivery.

In addition, the following provisions have been made to support key departmental priorities in education:

Norms and standards for Public Ordinary Schools (Transfers to schools and LTSM), R2.963 billion

This allocation ensures inclusive, equitable, and quality education. By transferring funds directly to schools for minimal infrastructure upgrades, operational costs, we empower our schools to take charge of their daily responsibilities and to ensure that urgent needs are attend to timeously.

Independent Schools Subsidies (Transfers to schools), R175.500 million

While prioritising public education, this funding acknowledges the role of independent schools in broadening access, echoing elimination of disparities in education. By subsidising low-fee independent schools, particularly in underserved areas, we  are bridging gaps where state capacity is stretched, ensuring choice without compromising equity.

Scholar transport, R365.215 million

A direct response to access to education and universal primary enrolment, this allocation tackles geographic exclusion. By providing safe and reliable transportation to thousands of rural learners, we reduce absenteeism and dropout rates, particularly among girls.

E-Education, R100.000 million

Bridging the digital divide, this funding equips schools with tablets, Wi-Fi, and coding resources, advancing skills for decent work and universal ICT access. It aligns with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Strategy, which prioritises digital literacy as a tool for economic participation. By partnering with tech firms, we will be able to prepare learners for a world where coding is as essential as literacy.

Teacher Development, R16.821 million

Our educators are the backbone of our education system. We will invest in professional development programs that equip our teachers with the skills and knowledge they need to inspire and engage our learners. By fostering a culture of continuous learning, we will empower our educators to be the change-makers in their classrooms.

Matric Results Intervention Strategy, R15.0 million

Our matriculants are the pride of Limpopo, yet systemic barriers persist. The R15.0 million Matric Intervention Strategy is a lifeline for the Class of 2025. It funds after-school boot camps in high-enrollment subjects, such as Mathematics and Physical Science, distributes curated revision booklets aligned with the curriculum, and equips teachers with data-driven diagnostics to address areas of weakness.

Learning recovery, R10.460 million

The scars of the pandemic linger in our classrooms, where disrupted learning deepened inequalities. With R10.4 million, we reignite a culture of resilience. This funding supports targeted catch-up programmes, including weekend classes, digital learning tools, and psychosocial support for learners still grappling with academic gaps.

Sanitary Dignity Project, R40.287 million

Honourable Speaker, the Sanitary Dignity Project is not just a budget line. It is a revolution in gender justice, a lifeline for dignity, and a defiant answer to the systemic inequities that have silenced girls for generations. With the allocated funds, this initiative ensures that over 300,000 female learners in Limpopo no longer have to choose between their education and their biology. For girls experiencing menstruation for the first time, often shrouded in stigma and shame, this project is transformative.  

By normalising access to sanitary products, we combat cultural taboos and empower girls to embrace their bodies with pride. This initiative operationalises the ANC’s Gender Equality Policy and its Manifesto pledge to “eradicate period poverty as a pillar of women’s liberation.” It echoes the Freedom Charter’s call for “the right to dignity” and the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence, which links menstrual equity to bodily autonomy and safety.  .

Through this project, we build a covenant with the girls of Limpopo. their potential will never be capped by their periods. As the late activist Tarana Burke declared, “Empowerment starts with the right to exist without apology.” By guaranteeing sanitary dignity, we ensure that girls in Giyani, Regorogile, and beyond step into classrooms and futures unburdened, unstoppable, and unashamed!

Full serviced schools’ Assistive devices, R31.650 million

Disability is not inability. With the allocation of R31.650 million, we transform full-service schools into beacons of accessibility. This allocation procures assistive technologies, such as Braille machines, hearing aids, and adaptive computers, while establishing the South African Sign Language (SASL) system. These tools dismantle physical and communication barriers, ensuring learners with disabilities thrive alongside their peers.  

Inclusive Education, R17.485 million

Honourable Speaker, we have embarked on a new journey of Inclusive education in our Province to ensure that no learner is left behind. Inclusion is not a policy; it is a promise. The R17.485 million allocation will go a long way in training educators and SGB members on differentiated teaching strategies and Universal Design for Learning. We are also finalising the rollout of specialized buses for special schools, ending the indignity of exclusionary transport. To date, the Procurement of 35 special buses for all our special schools has been completed and awaiting delivery to these specific schools. By mainstreaming inclusive education, we honour the Constitution’s call to “recognise the inherent dignity of all.”  

Already, 543 subject advisors have been trained on inclusive education, making us the only province in the country to have trained such a significant number.  In the current financial year, we have allocated funds to ensure that inclusive education makes phenomenal strides as we provide education for all. These funds will be used to procure assistive devices, support our SASL laboratories, and provide special care to our special care centres. No learner must be left behind as the right to education is protected by our Constitution.

ECD indoor/outdoor equipment, R40.000 million

The foundation of a child’s future is laid in the early years of life. The allocation equips ECD centres with age-appropriate indoor and outdoor play equipment, climbing structures, puzzles, and sensory kits to stimulate cognitive and motor development. These resources align with the National ECD Curriculum, ensuring our youngest learners transition to Grade R with confidence and curiosity.  

ECD LTSM, R11.955 million

Quality early learning demands quality materials. The R11.955 million for ECD Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSM) delivers multilingual storybooks, counting kits, and art supplies to centres. Partnering with other literacy NGOs, we will be able to train practitioners to use these tools creatively, fostering a love for reading and numeracy long before formal schooling begins.  

These interventions are threads in the broader tapestry of Limpopo’s education revival. They mirror Nelson Mandela’s vision of education as liberation, Steve Biko’s call for mental emancipation, and the ANC’s manifesto commitment to equity. By investing in recovery, inclusion, and early childhood development, we plant seeds for a province where every learner, whether in a wheelchair in Nzhelele or an ECD centre in Modimolle, can claim their rightful place in the sun.

Education Management Information System (EMIS), R16.166 million

The Education Management Information System, through the South African School Administration and Management System (SA-SAMS) and Learner Unit Record Information and Tracking System (LURITS), remains the single source of education information and the backbone of education administration. This System aims at improving learner outcomes by leveraging school data throughout the entire education system.

In the 2024/2025 Financial Year, the department trained 145 officials (governance/safety and Education Management and Information Systems (EMIS)) on the National School Safety Framework (NSSF) and the School Safety Module (SSM), which aimed to improve incident and accident recording and reporting on the SA-SAMS. This changes manual reporting to web-based reporting on EMIS.

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) selected Vhembe West Education District as a Pilot Site for the implementation of the modernised SA-SAMS in the previous Financial Year. Through the dedicated efforts of EMIS Officers, the Province received a prestigious national award for Best School Data Management at the National Data Summit Awards. The Department has reinforced its efforts in implementing the Modernised SA-SAMS for real-time reporting and enhanced data security. The funds allocated for EMIS will be utilised to implement modernised SA-SAMS and to improve accessibility across the province.

Library Services, R11.636 million

Our mandate as a department is to make sure that every learner reads for meaning by the age of 10. Our library services will continue to provide schools with Multimedia resources aimed at assisting learners with reading barriers to master reading for meaning as quickly as possible. The Directorate will also supply books to schools, intended for reading enjoyment, amounting to R2 million. The books assist schools with enrichment programmes, such as after-school reading sessions.

Honourable Members, our collaboration with the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture on the celebration of Reading Days and reading competitions is yielding positive results.  Districts such as Vhembe celebrated World Read Aloud Day together, with the two departments at Tiyani and Saselemani Villages participating. Meanwhile, I celebrated World Read Aloud Day with my learners at Maokeng Primary School in the Waterberg District.

These celebrations feature reading aloud in various languages spoken in our Province. This advocacy campaign enhances reading interest among all stakeholders, and indeed, our learners are benefiting from it.  We will continue to work with all partners who support our provincial reading plan to make our province and its citizens a reading nation.

Districts' accountability sessions, R5.230 million

Honourable Speaker, By funding district-level accountability sessions, we institutionalise transparency, enabling communities to hold officials and schools directly responsible for resource use, learner outcomes, and service delivery.

Systemic Evaluation, R2.495 million

Systemic Evaluation is the compass measuring learning outcomes and data for development. This funding enables province-wide assessments of learner performance in Grades 3, 6, and 9, generating evidence to refine teaching methodologies and resource allocation. By diagnosing gaps in foundational skills, we advance the NDP’s mandate to “use evidence to transform education.”

School Safety, R4.000 million

Due to escalations in incidents of crime and violence, which are manifesting in more social ills, random searches and seizures for dangerous objects will continue in the new sets of HOTSPOT schools (2025-2028). Social ills such as bullying is on the rise, drug abuse, gangsterism, rape and suicides are prioritized for more intervention through strengthening our partnerships with the renewal of MOUs with sister departments and stakeholders of interest.

Honourable Speaker, we will convene the Limpopo Schools Safety Indaba to strengthen and increase partnerships in addressing our challenges and curb crime and violence in our schools. The Safety Indaba will culminate in the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Memoranda of Agreement (MoAs) with our social partners, committing each stakeholder to support their respective areas of competency. This will ensure that schools become safer, more secure, and caring learning environments, enabling effective teaching and learning to take place.

Skills Development Programme, R96 607 million

Honourable speaker, in the 2025/26 financial year, the allocation for the overall Skills Development Programme is R96 607 million, which will be utilised to capacitate the different categories of serving employees at all levels such as Institution  and office-based Educators as well as Public Service Employees. We will continue to pay special attention to the Initial Teacher Education and graduate development programme for the unemployed youth who require work-integrated learning to complete their studies.

The focal point will be on the following programmes: Strategic ICT Integration; Training of SMT Members on Instructional Leadership; Mentoring and Coaching, Coding and Robotics; Health and safety Programme and ECD Level 5 Diploma for ECD Practitioners; Concentrated Induction for the newly appointed Educators / Novice Teachers and the different Bachelor of Education Degrees with clear bias towards Foundation and   Intermediate Phases as opposed to the Senior & FET Phases.

As I present Budget Vote 3, let us remember the words of Malcolm X: “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” Let this budget be our passport. A passport out of poverty, out of despair, and into a Limpopo where every classroom is a sanctuary of hope, every teacher a torchbearer, and every learner a testament to what is possible when we dare to care.

Honourable Speaker, education is the foundation of progress and economic growth in our province. As we present the 2025/26 Vote 3 Budget for the Limpopo Department of Education, our focus remains on expanding access to quality education, improving infrastructure, and investing in the future of our learners.

For the 2025/26 financial year, the Department has been allocated a total budget of R42.529 billion, which is comprised of:

• Equitable Share: R37.888 billion;
• Conditional Grants: R3.847 billion; and
• Own Revenue: R794.721 million

This represents an increase of R2.683 billion (6.7%) from the R39.846 billion Adjusted Appropriation in the 2024/25 financial year.

The allocation by Economic Classification has been distributed as follows:

• Compensation of Employees (CoE): R32.599 billion
• Goods and Services: R4.422 billion
• Transfers and Subsidies: R4.064 billion
• Payments for Capital Assets: R1.444 billion

It is essential to note that Compensation of Employees accounts for the most significant portion of the budget, at 76.7%, demonstrating our commitment to ensuring well-trained and motivated educators. Of the total Equitable Share allocation (R38.682 billion), the CoE budget is R32.482 billion (84.0%), with R29.108 billion (89.6%) dedicated to educators’ salaries.

We recognise that the path ahead is not without its challenges, but it is a path we must tread with unwavering resolve. Our collective efforts must be focused on ensuring that every learner in Limpopo is equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to thrive in an increasingly complex and evolving world. We are not just preparing students for exams; we are preparing them for life, the workforce, and a future that aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In conclusion, Honourable Speaker, as we stand on the threshold of a new financial year, let us reaffirm our commitment to the noble cause of education in Limpopo Province. The budget we have outlined today is not merely a financial plan; it is a blueprint for transformation, a promise to our learners, educators, and communities that we will work tirelessly and diligently to elevate the standards of education across our Province.

As we strive to produce a workforce that meets the demands of a dynamic economy, let us remember that education is the cornerstone of sustainable development. It is through quality education that we can eradicate poverty, promote gender equality, and foster innovation. Together, we will build an education system that not only meets the needs of today but also anticipates the challenges of tomorrow.

Let us work hand in hand, with dedication and passion, to ensure that the standard of education in Limpopo rises to new heights. Together, we can create a legacy of excellence that empowers our youth and transforms our province into a beacon of hope and opportunity.

To our SGB Associations, Unions, Donors/Sponsors, SACE, SANASE, the traditional leadership, executive mayors and their councils, religious leaders, your constant support in this journey described in the bible, one of many miles, your support is appreciated as your commitment confirms that Education is Indeed a Societal Matter. 

Team education administration marshalled by the Acting HOD; your hard work has not gone unnoticed. As we continue to walk this journey of renewal of our vows to our responsibilities as per our contracts, continue working as a team for the benefit of our children future.

The Portfolio of Department of Education led by Hon. Nkakareng Rakgoale together with the committee, your diligence is appreciated in ensuring that we render services efficiently, economically and effectively.

The Hon. Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba, the faith you had in giving us a task such as this Department is truly an honour. Your constant support and guidance in this journey continue to prove fruitful in the efforts exerted by all stakeholders involved.

Thank you. Ndo livhuwa.

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