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Early childhood development centres across KwaZulu‑Natal are still fighting for survival as the provincial Department of Education fails to pay court‑ordered subsidies in full. Principals are sinking into personal debt to keep doors open, staff are working without salaries and children are receiving fewer meals each day.

In this SAFM interview our candidate attorney Fanelesibonge Ndebele explains how the Legal Resources Centre, together with the Real Reform for ECD movement, first wrote to the department, then secured an urgent Pietermaritzburg High Court order in May, and now prepares for a second round of litigation. Part B of the case seeks a structural remedy: monthly transparency on payments, a supervisory order to ensure compliance and, crucially, formal recognition of early childhood development as a self‑executing constitutional right.

The conversation lays bare the human cost of delayed subsidies and the vital role that well‑funded, accountable ECD services play in breaking cycles of poverty. Watch the full interview to hear first‑hand accounts from centres on the brink and to understand why systemic reform is essential for every child’s dignity, nutrition and early learning.