Minister Motshekga responds to The Star/Pretoria News article published on 26 July 2012
26 Jul 2012
Your sensational lead article in The Star and the Pretoria News, "Angie messes up" and "Angie knew of textbook dilemma", 26 July 2012, misleadingly creates the impression that Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga, has the authority to procure on behalf of a provincial Department of Education (see report).
Even if the Minister was aware of the challenges related to the procurement of textbooks in Limpopo, she did not have the authority to effect procurement in the province due to the provisions in the South African Schools Act (SASA) and the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). In terms of the Constitution, basic education is a concurrent function.
This means the national Department of Basic Education is responsible for the development of national policy whilst the province implements national policy, manages schools and provides the inputs necessary to support learning and teaching. The provincial Head of Department, who is also the Accounting Officer of the Limpopo Department of Education, is responsible for financial management, including procurement in the province. The Minister, as the Executive Authority, is not responsible for any decisions on matters of procurement.
Therefore, even if the Minister was aware of the challenges relating to the procurement of textbooks in the province, the Minister could not procure on behalf of the province. It must also be emphasised that the Minister only assumed the Executive Authority for the Limpopo Department of Education in December 2011, and not in July 2011.