The eThekwini Municipality is expected to host the Mathematics and Advanced SHARP Scientific Calculator Training Programme from a R90,000 budget.
Image: FILE
While potholes deepen, informal settlements expand and residents continue complaining about collapsing service delivery, the eThekwini Municipality is preparing to spend nearly R90,000 teaching teachers how to use a scientific calculator.
Yes — a calculator.
The planned one-day Mathematics and Advanced SHARP Scientific Calculator Training Programme is expected to train 100 educators from the Umlazi District, Pinetown and municipal wards 98 and 105.
But it is not the mathematics causing residents to reach for calculators. It is the bill.
According to documents tabled before the municipality’s Executive Committee (Exco), roughly R85,000 of the budget is earmarked for catering and hiring the Durban International Convention Centre for the May 2026 event.
The exact date has not yet been announced.
The programme forms part of the municipality’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative, with the Department of Education expected to select the participating teachers.
Still, the spending has left ratepayers wondering whether Durban’s finances have entered a parallel universe where calculators now require conference-level intervention.
The eThekwini Residents and Ratepayers Association (ERRA) said the municipality appeared increasingly disconnected from the realities facing ordinary residents.
ERRA chairperson Ish Prahadh said public consultations around the 2026/27 municipal budget painted a grim picture of communities battling infrastructure decay, housing backlogs and growing informal settlements.
Instead, he said, taxpayers are now footing the bill for what many see as an expensive tutorial on button pressing.
“Listening to the concerns from residents at public meetings and having heard about the spending on the scientific calculator training clearly shows that certain departments in the municipality are spending their budgets on issues that are not pertinent,” said Prahadh.
“I was anticipating this matter being brought up, debated and voted on at the April council meeting, but nothing came to fruition.”
Prahladh argued that the money could have been better spent addressing housing pressures and informal settlements, which he said continue placing strain on ratepayers and municipal resources.
The municipality, however, insists there is logic behind the spending.
Officials said the intervention responds to growing national concerns over poor Mathematics performance, limited teaching resources and shortages of adequately trained educators.
According to the municipality, learners in rural and remote communities continue to struggle with Mathematics and Physical Sciences, making educator support programmes necessary.
The training is expected to help teachers better understand key Grade 12 Mathematics concepts while improving their ability to use SHARP scientific calculators effectively during classroom instruction.
The report states that educators will receive advanced curriculum content and teaching methodologies aligned with the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS).
The programme will also be conducted in partnership with the Durban University of Technology.
Municipal officials said the training aims to strengthen learner-centred teaching approaches and improve Mathematics outcomes.
But critics remain unconvinced — particularly given the venue costs attached to what many believe could have been conducted in a classroom, school hall or online session at a fraction of the price.
Despite the controversy, none of the councillors publicly commented on the item, even though it was not tabled for approval during April’s council meeting.
Human Settlements, Engineering and Transport Authority Committee chairperson Councillor Themba Mvubu defended the initiative in the municipal publication Metro-ezasegagasini.
“We believe that by investing in teacher development, it will help build a stronger foundation for future academic success and expand economic opportunities for young people,” Mvubu said.
For frustrated ratepayers, however, the equation appears far less complex:
R90,000 + calculators = outrage.
DAILY NEWS