/ 10 May 2002

Asmal blasts E Cape officials

MINISTER of Education Kader Asmal this week slammed the Eastern Cape education authorities, saying officials who failed to deliver basic education services should quit or face disciplinary action.

The minister’s intervention came after the Mail & Guardian revealed the non-delivery of textbooks and stationery to more than 150 schools in the Maluti region, which triggered a major protest action by students, parents and teacher unions.

More than 60 000 students from over 200 schools boycotted classes for about two weeks. The protest action was called off last week to give the province a chance to deliver the missing supplies.

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union, which led the protest march, said students had been forced to use old and torn books and stationery.

The new supplies were supposed to have reached schools at the start of the year. Eastern Cape MEC for Education Stone Sizani, who in January vowed to resign if the provincial matric results do not improve, said he accepted responsibility for the non-delivery of school supplies, but blamed three civil servants for the debacle. Sizani’s spokesperson, Phaphama Mfenyana, said Sizani has now set up a committee to probe the three.

The United Democratic Movement on Monday called for Sizani’s resignation, saying the MEC had failed to deliver stationery for the past three years.

The Eastern Cape education department said it was investigating claims that requisition forms for Maluti had been lost.

Angered by the student boycott, Asmal this week visited the troubled region to investigate the non-delivery of stationery and immediately fired a broadside against incompetent education authorities in the province.

”Whatever the problem is we cannot afford a situation where children do not receive stationery. We have to prioritise properly. People who are not doing their jobs properly should quit,” Asmal said, according to his spokesperson Molatwane Likethe.

Asmal also turned on teachers, students and parents. He said, despite the problems they face, they should learn to refrain from protest actions as these would only add to the academic disruption.