16 January 2016
SACP Eastern Cape rejects call for Education MEC to step down
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Eastern Cape rejects calls for the MEC of Education, Comrade Mandla Makupula to resign following the decline in the matric results of 2015. The 2015 matric pass rate decline follows three years of steady improvement, with two years being above 60% - first time, in 15 years, only when MEC Mandla Makupula was appointed in the position. It is worth noting that those who now attribute the decline to an individual, have failed to attribute the successes to that same individual. Hypocrite!
The outcomes of the matric level are a reflection of a flawed education system (as we have illustrated in our statement on 06 January 2016. This is evident on how the focus is on grade 12 than the entire system. The current form of matric results does not give the full account of all the cohort of learners who started schooling 12 years ago, in 2003.
It was under the leadership of MEC Mandla Makupula that the Provincial Department of Education made progress: The province has over 1.6 million children attending a No Fee schools. Over 27 thousand learners have gained access to special and specialised education services. The over 1. 6 million leaners can now access school feeding scheme meals on every schooling day. 57 000 learners are able to access a scholar transport services.
It is under the leadership of MEC Makupula that the province was placed on a trajectory of improved performance for the last 3 years and sustained matric performance improvement from 58,1% in 2011 to 65.4% in 2014. The number of student eligible for Bachelor's Degrees increased from 15% in 2011 to 19% in 2013.
It is under the leadership of MEC Makupula that the province that, for the first time, the provincial Education Department managed to obtain a clean audit after many years of disclaimers. The MEC made good strides in fighting corruption. He did well in quelling what was becoming a perpetual standoff between the department and organised labour.
Our support for MEC Makupula is mainly informed by the good work he has been doing in the department of education. He has proven to be a committed and incorruptible servant of the people.
We are convinced that the main reasons behind the calls for MEC Makupula to resign or be removed have nothing to do with education but aimed at total capture of the department for looting. The calls also have all to do with factional and business interests engulfing the movement. As we know, some are vehemently opposed to the idea introduced by MEC Makupula to give school nutrition money direct to the schools so that communities can feed their children, they want the service to be tenderised and be given to some form of agency for looting purpose. This amongst other things is at the core of the offensive against the MEC.
It isstrange for those claiming to be committed to clean and transparent governance calling for the re-instatement of the suspended SG and say nothing about the wildly reported allegations of corruption against him. They behave as if they had gone somewhere and only came back now after the release of matric results. We see their desperate attempts of hiding behind genuine challenges faced by the working class for their greed for crass materialism and conspicuous consumption.
We are calling upon the people of the Eastern Cape to be vigilant of being co-opted by those who want to make the people's government their source of self-enrichment. Be careful of a wolf in a sheep skin.
Issued by the SACP Eastern Cape.
Contact:
Siyabonga Mdodi
SACP Provincial Spokesperson
Mobile: +2783 358 8070
Office: +2740 635 1042/46
Fax: +2786 268 1281
Facebook: SACP Eastern Cape