DA offers fleet of vehicles to Minister to deliver Limpopo textbooks

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has notified Education Minister Angie Motshekga that the party wants to make a fleet of delivery vehicles available to deliver textbooks to Limpopo schoolchildren without delay.

If the Minister accepts this offer, we can have these vehicles ready to deliver books in every Limpopo education district within 48 hours. We will do it at our own cost.

Today we formally requested the Minister to put politics aside and grant us permission to provide this assistance. The vehicles we are offering will provide an additional boost to the current service providers in Limpopo.

Limpopo schoolchildren have been without textbooks for almost seven months and shouldn't have to wait any longer. 

The DA inspected a Polokwane warehouse yesterday where thousands of textbooks (see attached photos) are yet to leave the premises. This is despite a court deadline for the books to be delivered to schools by Friday last week.

The books need to be transported from Polokwane to yet more warehouses in five Limpopo education districts. Only then can the books be delivered to schools. 

This will take a massive effort as there are over 5 000 schools without books. The Department is behind schedule, with the hardest part of the delivery process still to come.

Minister Motshekga, please accept this assistance for the sake of all Limpopo schoolchildren who have waited for these books long enough.

(Note: The request was made to the Minister via email this morning to her private secretary Mr Steve Mabua (cc spokesperson Panyaza Lesufi) - (012) 357 4026 / 4036.)

Statement issued by Mmusi Maimane, DA National Spokesperson, June 21 2012

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