
In an article written by Zille, the Democratic Alliance leader said Motshekga had fulfilled her constitutional responsibilities "to a far greater degree than any of her predecessors" and laid the blame for some of education's greatest failures at the feet of incompetent provincial education departments and voters who get "the government they deserve". She was reiterating comments she made at a DA Young Professionals forum on Tuesday night.
Zille received support for her column on Twitter:
Brilliant article done by @helenzille. Everyone must find time to read that.
— Dillon Webb (@dillonwebb) July 22, 2013
… including encouragement from Motshekga's spokesperson, Hope Mokgatle:
@helenzille your take on Minister Motshekga, amazing stuff wow!
— Hope Mokgatlhe (@Hope75Hope) July 22, 2013
Zille said Motshekga could not be blamed for the Limpopo textbooks crisis because "the timeous ordering and distribution of textbooks is a provincial responsibility" and "there was no money left in that mismanaged province's budget for textbooks".
Motshekga did what she was supposed to do, Zille said, by setting "policies, frameworks, norms and standards" for textbook delivery". Zille said that chaos around teacher salaries and provincial finances were largely as a result of "huge numbers of excess teachers, who cannot be 'matched and placed' because of opposition from the so-called SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu)".
According to her, officials put in place by Motshekga to fix this were blocked at every turn by the union, which "the president backed … against Motshekga". Her worthwhile policies cannot be implemented, Zille said, "without sufficient capacity in the provinces and the co-operation of Sadtu".
A page out of Zille's book
Power FM 98.7 talk show host Eusebius McKaiser said in a column published in the Star on Monday the department's spokesperson, Panyaza Lesufi, known for spearheading questionable media approaches in times of departmental crises, should take a page out of Zille's book.
"Sies, Panyaza Lesufi, sies! You are meant to be our scandal-ridden Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga's spin doctor, and yet Helen Zille, the DA leader, of all people, managed in one single speech last week to defend Angie [Motshekga] more impressively than you have done in the past year with your stream of rhetoric in the media. Hawu!"
ANC secretary general, Gwede Mantashe, agreed with McKaiser:
Mantashe commends @helenzille's defence of Motshekga. Says the minster's own team should have done that. #ANC
— eNCA (@eNCAnews) July 22, 2013
Freelance columnist Mabine Seabe commended this:
It's good to see that our politics is maturing. Premier @helenzille defends Minister Motshekga and SG @GwedeMantashe1 welcomes the comments.
— Mabine Seabe II (@Mabine_Seabe) July 22, 2013
There were warnings from the twitterati:
Tannie @helenzille, I hope the conservatives in your party don't gun for your head for praising Tannie Angie
— Sanele Zondi (@IamZondi) July 22, 2013
Ok, so just bcoz @helenzille has decided to cuddle @AngieMotshekga despite her known criticisms, we're all supposed to jump on the bed too!
— 99% Comedy (@99Comedy) July 22, 2013
Any minute now @helenzille will be telling us that President #Zuma is doing very well: our problems are Cosatu and @Zwelinzima1's fault!
— Justice Malala (@justicemalala) July 21, 2013
And criticism from others:
@NICKolausBAUER or responding to commentary at its worst. You choose.
— Helen Zille (@helenzille) July 22, 2013
Angriest response
But perhaps the angriest response came from civil society. Responding to the call for Motshekga to publish norms and standards for school infrastructure, Zille said Motshekga was confined to establishing norms and standards, under specific conditions but that provinces actually ran the school system.
Motshekga recognised that the idealistic norms and standards for "state-of-the-art infrastructure could not possibly be achieved in the real world", Zille said, adding that the minister is working through the "tortuous public participation processes required by law" to develop norms "that take account of reality".
@City_Press @sihledlk Toilets and roofs aren't "unaffordable", "state of the art" infrastructure. "Idealistic" se voet.
— Nishal Robb (@NishalRobb) July 21, 2013
#DA statement goes against Premier @helenzille praise-singing on norms & standards http://t.co/8TUBFeCY55 @NishalRobb @city_press @sihledlk
— Zackie Achmat (@ZackieAchmat) July 21, 2013
Premier @HelenZille attacks Norms & Stds by creating a straw-man. Actually noone expects "idealistic" norms & stds. http://t.co/Gm6Ss37qu8
— Equal Education (@equal_education) July 21, 2013
While 3544 schools have no elec, 2402 have no water supply, Premier @HelenZille compares basic school infrastructure to OBE. Poor show.
— Equal Education (@equal_education) July 21, 2013
Instead of supporting campaign for MINIMUM norms & stds Premier @HelenZille dismisses "idealistic norms & stds" and defends Min. Motshekga.
— Equal Education (@equal_education) July 21, 2013
The most recent development in the battle for the norms to be published – a six-month extension – was therefore justified, Zille said.
She appeared, though, to have overlooked Motshekga's numerous unmet promises to publish the norms, and failures to adhere to her own deadlines.
However, others did not:
The reason Min Motshekga missed deadline of 15 May was that Motshekga's own draft was so weak. Premier @HelenZille doesn't acknowledge this.
— Equal Education (@equal_education) July 21, 2013
20 year delay for Norms & Standards Premier. "@helenzille:… Yes, and that is not because of Angie." @equal_education @tomtom_m @DBE_SA
— Zackie Achmat (@ZackieAchmat) July 22, 2013
Even Equal Education, campaigners for four years for the norms, agreed with Zille on one thing:
Despite our criticisms of @HelenZille's article, we agree that the media tendency to blame "Angie" for everything is simplistic.
— Equal Education (@equal_education) July 21, 2013
Disrespectful media tendency to refer to black politicians, especially women, by first names, eg: "Angie". At least @HelenZille is "Zille".
— Equal Education (@equal_education) July 21, 2013