Gauteng education headed for disaster with Lesufi back at the helm

31 June 2019

The civil rights organisation AfriForum is disappointed in the decision of David Makhura, Premier of Gauteng, to reinstate Panyaza Lesufi for a second term as MEC for Education in Gauteng after Lesufi would have initially acted as MEC for Finance and E-government in Gauteng.

Lesufi makes no secret of his disdain for Afrikaans-speaking people and his targeting of Afrikaans schools, and his second term will set forth his political witch-hunt. This despite the fact that he could already not provide solutions for serious problems – such as the need for quality education, enough schools and the development and application of mother-tongue education for all children in Gauteng – during his first term. 

His attempt over the past five years to register prospective Grade 1 and 8 learners with an online system has also provided endless problems.

Further, he drives his political agenda much stronger than paying the necessary attention to education problems in Gauteng.

“This is absolutely tragic because as long as Lesufi is at the helm of education in Gauteng, education in Gauteng will not be approached fairly. The battle for mutual recognition and respect for each other will continue, despite the development of our children,” says Carien Bloem, AfriForum’s Project Coordinator for Education.

“AfriForum will continue fighting for mother-tongue education and opposing Lesufi’s ideal to anglicise all schools in Gauteng,” Bloem concludes.

Issued by Hesti Steenkamp, Media Relations Officer, AfriForum, 31 May 2019