Where is Education MEC Donald Grant?

The Western Cape African National Congress is disappointed and shocked to find that many learners in this province has yet to get textbooks at schools at the halfway mark of the year.

The ANC asks what Grant has done to rectify the failure to deliver textbooks to Western Cape schools six months into the new academic year? Why did he not report the huge shortage of textbooks in a number of schools and what has he done to ensure the delivery of books resumed after his contractor failed to complete the task it was paid for in advance?

Western Cape ANC leader (deputy minister for international relations and cooperation) Marius Fransman headed a delegation to deliver a donation of textbooks to the disadvantaged learners in poor black schools in conjunction with the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU).

"The DA is today again stripped naked and debunked as a hypocritical double standard party. It hosts protest marches in Limpopo and other provinces for cheap political point scoring, shouts foul to the high heavens about shortages of school books in those provinces, but mean time - in its own backyard - it is also at default.

"Today we stand at one of three schools in the Kraaifontein area where 1 551 learners in the critical foundation phase of learning to read, write and calculate and they still do not have textbooks or too little are available. In one class alone only 14 of 50 learners have books.

"Grant came to some of these schools for cheap political point scoring and publicity at the opening this year to hand out little presents, but never came back to check whether those learners have the basic textbooks to start their education on a good foundation! Where is Grant now?

"This is a travesty and untenable. How can the DA look South Africa in the eye today? It is a scandal that the DA preaches to other provinces, but in the only province where the DA is in control it cannot deliver basic textbooks to all young learners, dooming them to a life of servitude and not giving them a future in the DA's so-called open opportunity society," says Fransman.

The ANC will ask that the newly founded provincial education crisis committee Save Our Schools will also look into this matter and make a presentation to the Presidential Task Team appointed to investigate the shortage of books.

The ANC is deeply concerned that Grant has yet to report the shortage of books and other problems in education to the Western Cape provincial legislature where he is accountable to the people of the province and where he derives his mandate and budget from.

"When is Grant intending to come clean with the people of the Western Cape? Is he on top of his post? If he is and he knew of this problem, but did nothing about it, his head should roll.

"Innocent poor black children once more have to bite the bullet for Grant's weak leadership, his failures to manage his portfolio in the best interest of the vulnerable and lack of commitment to improve the lives of the marginalised. Instead, he perpetuates the perception that the DA does not care for poor and ordinary people and is satisfied with inferior service delivery to townships and informal settlements," says Fransman.

The ANC will return to visit these and other schools to monitor the situation at it is suspected that this is but the tip of the iceberg.

Statement issued by ANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman, July 5 2012

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