Lesufi is going to leave 14 000 learners stranded

15 January 2019

The FF Plus was shocked to learn that the Gauteng Department of Education announced earlier today that learners who still do not have a place at a school only have until this Friday to accept the placements offered by the Department.

This threat serves as proof that the MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, does not care about the future of the children in the province.

If Lesufi really did have our children's best interests at heart and if he really was concerned about their education and training, he would not have allowed his Department to broadcast such threats.

The Department did not perform its duty to ensure that every child in Gauteng has been offered a space for learning at a school. If Lesufi had done his job like he was supposed to, enough schools would have been built in die last five years and we would not have this crisis on hand where there are 14 000 learners who will most probably have nowhere to go.

The Department's actions are in contravention of the Constitution of South Africa (Section 29 1 (a)) as it clearly states that every person has the right to receive basic education.

By doing this, Lesufi and his Department have violated the Constitution for the umpteenth time. Lesufi and his Department's actions contribute directly to unemployment, particularly in Gauteng.

Issued by Philip van Staden, FF Plus MPL: Gauteng Legislature, 15 January 2019