By Odwa Bafana Mkentane
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) is calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to sanction Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube over her decision to keep the new Foundation Phase textbook catalogue suspended. The union argues that investigations into the procurement process have cleared it of wrongdoing, but Gwarube maintains that concerns around non-compliance, governance and procurement risks remain.
Speaking to VOC News, SADTU Secretariat Officer Xolani Fakude argues that the national textbook catalogue was overseen by the Auditor-General and that both internal and external investigations found no administrative wrongdoing, and they therefore question the Minister’s continued decision to keep the catalogue suspended.
“Well, that is exactly that. That is precisely what we are asking the minister. What was done wrong? Because there were investigations, both internal and external, as I have emphasised, but then what was done wrong? Because they have cleared whatever could have been conceptions of wrongdoing. So, then the minister must not tell us what is being done wrong, and that is why we are saying that the minister actually is working on inhibiting a transformative process. Remember, education is a contested space, and when you have got a national catalogue for those lower grades that has been adopted, why then is it that we are having to go through this particular phase, and we are saying it is just not acceptable? That is why we are calling on the President to then take over and take charge of his constitutional responsibility and sanction the Minister,” said Fakude.
Fakude argued that new publishing houses should be given an opportunity to enter a space dominated by established companies.
“Teachers should also have a say in the materials they use to teach. The investigations were carried out by people with the necessary knowledge and experience. First, the department conducted an internal investigation, and then an independent external group investigated the same issues. Both investigations found no wrongdoing. We should therefore not simply accept everything reported in the media as the truth. The processes were properly followed and overseen by the Director-General, “ he said.
Photo: Pixels
