The Gauteng education department has settled almost all municipal debts owed by schools and set aside R2.8bn to tackle overcrowding in state schools in the province.
The department said it paid R426.27m or 99.95 of the R426.45m owed to municipalities and Eskom by schools without section 211d functions by the end of June.
The outstanding balance of R175,853.61, which represents 0.05 of the debt, was due to a delay resulting from updates to standard chart of accounts, a reform implemented by the provincial Treasury to improve public financial management systems.
The department confirmed the remaining amount would be paid between July 25 and August 8, fully honouring its commitment to settle school debts by the end of March.
As the department, we remain committed to ensuring sound financial governance, transparency and service continuity in state schools, said education MEC Matome Chiloane.