IFPYB CALLS FOR KZN EDUCATION MEC TO BE DISMISSED

July 20, 2006

At a press conference this morning IFP Youth Brigade Chairperson, Mr Thulasizwe Buthelezi said:

"Our education system in Kwazulu-Natal is paralysed. Education in this province is in a crisis.

Teachers and learners throughout the province have come forward with the following information. The following schools have registered their concerns: Mankenke High School in Jozini, Malobeni High School in Obonjeni, Nomaqoni High School in Empangeni Mcabango High School in Richards Bay, Uyaya High School in Mandeni and Magemfane High School in Mandeni. These are their concerns.

Teachers are taken away to workshops during teaching time. Schools have no water either for drinking or sanitation. Learners have to leave the school premises to go to rivers when they need drinking water.

The most serious problem however is that the majority of matric pupils in this province have no textbooks. In October they will be writing their final exams, yet they have had no textbooks for the whole year. The one and only service provider contracted by the Department of Education to provide textbooks is a company called INDIZA. This company is flying everywhere except to schools where textbooks are needed.

More damning however are reports we have received that INDIZA has links to MEC Ina Cronje's husband. We believe that the MEC has a case to answer with regards to INDIZA.

In any case we now know that with the current paralysis in the Education Department we can only expect disaster when the Matric results come out later this year. Ever since the ANC government took over KZN the matric pass rate has been dropping drastically.

For the sake of the learners of Kwazulu Natal, MEC Ina Cronje needs to be shown the door. The MEC is a disaster. She has no clue as to what she is doing. We therefore call upon Premier Sbusiso Ndebele to dismiss the Education MEC immediately."

Contact
Thulasizwe Buthelezi: IFP Youth Brigade Chairperson
083 482 7936