ANC closes schools country-wide as it heads to Western Cape High court

After closing thousands of schools country-wide, the ANC (in the guise of its front organisation ‘Save our Schools') heads to court tomorrow to stop Western Cape learners from being enrolled in better education environments.

The so-called "Save our Schools" campaign responsible for the review application is fronted by Magnus de Jongh. 

Not many people are aware that Magnus de Jongh has long been affiliated to ANC Western Cape chair Marius Fransman. De Jongh first worked as an ANC Youth league leader and ANC strategist, then as a spokesperson for Fransman during his time as Housing MEC, and now as a spokesperson for Fransman at "Save our Schools" events.

The ANC's record on school closures makes this court application one of the biggest acts of hypocrisy South Africans are likely to see.

The DA governed Western Cape government is closing 17 schools that are either consistently under-performing, or are subject to low learner enrolment and multi-grade classrooms. Meanwhile, in the Eastern Cape, the ANC is closing down 310 schools. Unlike in the Western Cape where 49 new schools have been built with 26 new and 46 replacement schools in the pipeline, the Eastern Cape schools are being closed due to the meltdown of the education system there.

If ‘Save our Schools' was a genuine interest group, it would be mounting a campaign to save schools in the Eastern Cape as well. But the truth is that ‘Save our Schools' is merely an ANC-front to help its attempt to take power back in the Western Cape next year.

The public need to see this court application by an ANC front organization for what it is: cynical political opportunism from a party with no credibility left on delivering quality public education.

Statement issued by Ivan Meyer, DA Leader in the Western Cape, June 9 2013

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