Lesufi’s appeal to the private sector indication of the state’s incompetence

15 January 2020

Solidarity Youth, the Youth Guild of Solidarity, on Wednesday expressed its disappointment with the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) that was unable to place all prospective Grade 1 and Grade 8 learners in schools.

“For years, Solidarity has been warning the GDE, and the MEC MrPanyaza Lesufi, in particular, that its central placement system will end up in disaster, and unfortunately, we have been proven to be right,” Paul Maritz of Solidarity Youth said.

In another development, this department issued a cry for help directed at the private sector, in response to which the private school group, Curro, agreed to offer a 30% discount to address the shortage of space in Gauteng schools. 

Although Mr Lesufi claims that hundreds of schools still have places available, his department’s urgent cry for help proves the opposite. They are unprepared for the placement task that they have assigned to themselves.

“The private sector is so often disparaged from all sides. Only last week several organisations wanted to nationalise private schools, and now this very same private sector has to come to the rescue of the struggling state department,” Maritz continued.

In addition, Solidarity Youth is convinced that because of poor service delivery, the government is hampering young people’s chances of a good future, and Solidarity Youth will continue to demand accountability and responsibility from officials.

Issued by Paul Maritz, Manager: Youth and Career Development, Solidarity, 15 January 2020