The tender process for building schools is “a system designed for corruption”, senior education officials say. But plans mooted by Minister of Education Naledi Pandor to short-circuit graft and waste by relieving provincial public works departments of responsibility for construction tenders have irritated national Minister of Public Works Stella Sigcau, who feels she is being blamed for problems that lie beyond her remit.
Under the government’s programme of action, Pandor is responsible for ensuring that no more children are educated under trees. A first deadline has already lapsed, and she hinted in Parliament last week that problems in managing tenders were partly to blame: “Should departments be required to work through the Public Works Department in all cases. Where we have a critical need, shouldn’t there be a more flexible approach?”
Sigcau’s staff said she was “really angry” and the issue has turned into a bit of spat. She had planned, officials say, to hit back publicly during the State of the Nation debate, but did not do so.
Instead she stuck to her printed text, but seemed confused, repeatedly fluffing crucial numbers — including her targets under the expanded public works programme — and referring to speeches made “this morning” when the debate took place in the afternoon.