Minister must explain textbooks being destroyed in Limpopo

Large numbers of textbooks are being destroyed at a former teacher's college outside Polokwane (see photographs below).

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo inspected the site in Seshego yesterday where a contractor is claiming that they are being paid by government to destroy the books.

We witnessed how textbooks are being shredded and loaded onto the back of vehicles to be dumped elsewhere. Other books are being burnt in the veld nearby.

The books appear to be in perfect condition, with many still inside the original packaging. 

Amongst the piles are maths and science textbooks, Sepedi story books, exercise books and old exam papers.

The contractor who is destroying the books is claiming to have been paid by government to do so. It raises some urgent questions about the failed textbook delivery programme in Limpopo. 

Minister Motshekga needs to explain immediately why this contractor is claiming to be paid by government to destroy books. 

It is unthinkable that books which are still of value to children with no access to reading material could be disposed of in this careless way. What kind of a person or regime sanctions the destruction of books?

Is it possible that other contractors who are not willing to meet the deadline for textbook delivery to schools are just taking the books from the Polokwane warehouse and dumping them somewhere?

DA councillors in Seshego are running a book donation project for Grade R pupils at schools in the area. There are already critical shortages of reading material across the province, and the destruction of these textbooks is unacceptable.

Dumped textbooks

Burnt textbooks

Statement issued by Desiree van der Walt, DA Limpopo Education spokesperson, June 23 2012

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