ACTis has raised two flags for the Free State DoE and placed three under monitoring.
Allegations against the administrative head are concerning, given their central role in the institution’s overall well- being. This, together with the high level of vacancies in highly skilled supervisory positions, may have contributed to reduced oversight capacity. Governance concerns across functional areas appear to have persisted for some time.
The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) found persistent weaknesses in internal controls across many areas. This is evident in procurement and public finance, where irregularities have been detected and have warranted investigations. Limited consequence management and failures to implement AGSA audit recommendations may reflect an environment with limited internal accountability or ability to enforce corrective action.
The issues across leadership, governance, procurement and financial management appear systemically linked. Together, this can leave the institution vulnerable to systemic corruption. However, no publicly verifiable evidence shows a coherent network attempting to establish sustained informal control over the Free State DoE. Ongoing investigations and audits by external authorities offer opportunities to build greater resilience and external accountability, but it is too early to report on their impact.
The Free State DoE’s internal weaknesses are reflected in the availability of school textbooks, which it is responsible for procuring and distributing. In 2024/25, 48.5% of learners in the province’s public schools had access to maths textbooks in Grade 6, 25.1% in Grade 9, and 29.7% in Grade 12.