ANC reacts to MEC Botha's challenge

The Western Cape ANC says the future of more than 5 000 learners and hundreds of teachers is neither cheap nor nonsense. It is a fact that especially poor black people will have to bite the bullet for the DA-run Western Cape provincial government's decision to close down 27 schools.

Rural people and especially Afrikaans speaking residents will be disadvantaged as DA education MEC Donald Grant bulldoze over these people in his plans to soon close more schools in the province.

This is in reaction to the DA health MEC Theuns Botha who is now trying on behalf of Grant to detract the attention away from the community reaction and campaign to stop the closure of these schools by calling such deep rooted concerns cheap political point scoring and grandstanding.

"People are shocked, unsure and disillusioned by the DA's callous closing down of community school centres for a second year in a row. Last year notices were served on 16 schools. Now the DA targets the next 27 vulnerable schools. It is a reality and a shame.

"The DA MEC is acting arbitrarily without prior consultation with these communities or an agreed plan or the effects of the looming closures. He unilaterally served letters on the schools and it is clear he will go ahead to close down the majority even after he announced a participation process after the fact.

"Botha has a lot to say about education. It is clear he has no clue of what is happening there as he denies everything even after his assertions of the delivery of all books and an infallible ordering system where debunked. It is the same in his own portfolio where he is out of touch with the delivery like that of the chaotic provision of medication for the treatment of life threatening chronic conditions.

"Botha is scared to hear the truth and acknowledge the facts pertaining to the safety and security of our learners. The reality is some have to now cross rival no-go gang areas and use the questionable learner transport system. MEC Grant has been unmasked on a number of blatant untruths about his intended closures," says Western Cape ANC leader (deputy minister for international relations and cooperation) Marius Fransman.

Botha nevertheless elects to embark on petty ad hominem attacks and personal challenges to Fransman.

"The ANC has noted Botha's tactics to trivialise the education crisis which includes various shortages of handbooks, teachers, equipment and facilities or roofs falling in on learners. It is clear Botha does not know what is happening in education - just like in his own portfolio with dire medicine shortages.

"The ANC is of the opinion that the DA wants to privatise health in the province as they intend doing with education. Botha cannot run away from his own responsibilities as MEC of health. He even tries to shift the focus to the department of international relations and cooperation where we are extremely successful in taking part in BRICS and just secured the chairpersonship of the Africa Union commission. 

"In both instances the double standards DA acted as prophets of doom and now sing the praises for these triumphs! Botha has no clue of international relations and education as well as not being on top of his own health portfolio," says Western Cape ANC leader Marius Fransman.

"Therefore the Western Cape ANC accepts the challenge of Botha to a public debate in two weeks time with me personally on international politics. It will take place in Kraaifontein where the shortage of handbooks came to light and where hundreds of learners as still locked out of schools (not enrolled) past the halfway mark of this academic year! I invite him to come and also tell the community their problems are cheap political point scoring, dishonest, merely agitation and that they try to fool people when they raise their problems. 

"Botha must indicate his availability now and come to also speak about this issue. Then we will see who is on top of this matter and that Botha will remain clueless of what is going on in poor areas where people are expected to be happy with the DA's delivery of inferior services," says Fransman.

Statement issued by ANC Western Cape Leader, Marius Fransman, July 22 2012

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