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ActionSA North West has today submitted written questions to the newly appointed MEC for Education, Dr Desbo Mohono, seeking urgent answers on the 2 346 vacant teaching posts recorded in the North West as of 30 June 2026. The vacancies were disclosed by the Minister of Basic Education in a written response to Parliament dated 5 August 2026, as learners head towards the 2026 final examinations.

The urgency is evident in schools where learner numbers are already placing significant pressure on available educators and classrooms. ActionSA wants the Department to account for the impact of these vacancies on teaching and learning, particularly in critical subjects.

We have asked the MEC to indicate how many of the 2 346 vacancies were funded substantive posts as of 30 June and how many had been filled by 31 July 2026. We are also calling for a district-by-district breakdown of the remaining vacancies, including the schools with the highest number of vacant posts.

ActionSA further wants to know how many learners are affected, particularly in Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Accounting and languages, and how many teaching posts have been frozen or are not being filled due to budgetary or other constraints. The MEC must account for the reasons behind these decisions.

Most importantly, we are calling for a time-bound plan to fill all outstanding funded vacancies, including the budget allocated, completion date and measures to protect learner performance in the 2026 final examinations. Temporary or acting arrangements cannot become a substitute for filling funded posts.

The key question is simple. How many classrooms are without permanently appointed teachers, which learners are affected, and when will these vacancies be resolved? North West learners cannot afford further delays while preparing for their final examinations.

ActionSA North West will use its oversight role in the Provincial Legislature to demand specific, district-level and time-bound answers from the MEC. Our learners deserve teachers in classrooms, not vacancies on paper.

Issued by ActionSA Member of the North West Provincial Legislature Masego Kodisang