The DA's resentful reaction to Matric results produced by ANC led provinces
8 January 2014, Cape Town
"Education is a means of promoting good citizenship as well as preparing our people for the needs of a modern economy and a democratic society" The late Cde Crosby Moni on Budget Vote 15
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Western Cape welcomes the credible results of the class of 2013. We congratulate all teachers, matriculants, parents and workers'unions who responded positively to the call for all hands on deck in pursuit of this apex result for our Nation.
We further call on those who did not achieve their expected results to not throw in the towel but to remain resolute in pursuit of their goals and aspirations. We are pleased by this policy success which indicates a clear upward spiral informed by ANC decision to make education a priority. Thus the increase in the matric pass rate attests to the ANC's delivery record on the policy options which it communicated to the electorate prior 2009 elections.
It is evident that the ANC government is progressively and steadily reversing the legacy of inferior education. Engineered by the architects of apartheid, who were hell-bent on maintaining a deconscientised African majority and only educated to drive a white, monopolized capitalist economy by a racist minority. The 2013 matric results are indeed a watershed result since the advent of our democracy.
We have also noted an outstanding performance by the Zonnebloem and Peakview High Schools which achieved 97% and 89.4% pass rate, respectively. These two high schools were on the verge of being closed by the DA administration sighting unfounded performance reasons.
The exemplary matric results of these two schools expose the ever apparent myopic character of DA. This further demonstrates the ineptitude of the Western Cape Department of Education to address schools affected by low pass rates in working class areas. Instead of progressively resolving educational issues ingrained in our working class communities from the legacy of the past, the Western Cape Department of Education regresses in its decisions by directing the closure of these schools.
The SACP once again reiterates that the attempt to close these schools was a political and ideological tactic by the DA, an archaic stratagem to maintain an uneducated and deconscientised proletariat to serve the needs of neo-liberal anti-majoritarian. The SACP in the province wishes to congratulate the learners and teachers of these schools for their brave perseverance and ensuring that youth in working class areas are afforded equal access to socioeconomic rights.
As the SACP, we are not surprised by the contradictory statements issued by Helen Zille, Donald Grant and the DA spokesperson. MEC Grant argues; "We believe our results are credible and accurately represent ongoing improvement within the system", paradoxically the DA spokesperson Annette Lovemore questions the credibility of the improved results.
Furthermore, and as an indication of the unbalanced political immaturity of the DA, Premier Zille further argues that "The government must act urgently to independently verify the credibility of the National Senior Certificate examination results and of all future Matric results". As the Premier of the Western Cape, the leader of the opposition and a former MEC of Basic for Education in the province, it is extremely discerning that Zille is manipulating society by questioning credible matric results with cheap political hit points on the eve of elections.
This is a clear sign that the DA government has not accepted that there is a need to narrow the gap between public and private education. She finds it unpalatable to keep quiet whilst ANC led provinces continue to improve their results which led to the Western Cape dropping to number four nationally.
Centrally to her statement, this confirms the reality that DA believes Western Cape is an autonomous colonial outpost; void of any ill performance reviews and results, hence the Premiers tantrum on the publication of the overall provincial results. Her statement further contradicts her belief in past that Minister Angie Motshekga is resolving challenging issues facing our education system. Lest we forget that Zille was and remains a staunch supporter of the policy option of basic education in defense of Minister Angie in public acclamations in this regard.
As the SACP we call upon our government never too waste time and resources to respond to this act of jealousy but to remain resolute in providing services to our people. We have said it before that MEC Grant is not capable to lead a success story in the education system of the Western Cape. The white male dominated cabinet ignored our demand for Grant to be removed and replaced by a more suitable candidate.
We therefore believe that Western Cape cabinet must take full responsibility of the downward spiral in the Western Cape education. We further believe that under the DA, our political gains have been reversed. This is evident from the delivery record in Housing, Education, Safety etc. It is against this background that we believe the DA is in a process of self-immolation, through public contradictory acclamations, racial infighting and an ideology that cannot progress our nation towards the objectives espoused in the Freedom Charter. In honour of Comrade Joe Slovo and Crosby Moni, the SACP in the province will continue to champion education as a means to emancipate the workers and the poor.
Statement issued by Masonwabe Sokoyi, SACP Western Cape Provincial Spokesperson, January 8 2014
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