Madam Speaker, the answer to the question asked of me is as follows. Hon member, nowhere in the world is there a vaccine called Tamiflu. It does not exist. Tamiflu, rather, is the commercial name of a drug; also Tamivir, which is an antiviral, but we do not have any vaccine by the name of Tamiflu. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Yes, Speaker, before I give the follow-up questions, I would like to say that, according to a confidential warning letter written on 29 July 2009, a copy of which was leaked to the British press, the Head of Immunisation of the UK government's Health Protection Agency warned British neurologists that the swine flu vaccine, which was briefly used in a mass vaccination programme in 1976 in the USA until it was abruptly withdrawn because of dangerous side effects, is likely to cause Guillain-Barr syndrome, GBS, which attacks the lining of the nerves, causing paralysis and the inability to breathe. It can be fatal. Obviously - and there was another study which showed that the likelihood of GBS was 800% after the immunisation - these are matters for concern.
So, the question I'm really asking is, have we looked into these concerns? Are we absolutely sure that this is not going to be problematic? Our immunisation roll-out starts on Monday, I believe. Has the vaccine ever been tested on children or expectant mothers, particularly since these are two primary groups targeted to receive the vaccine? Will you take any measures to ensure that doctors, particularly neurologists, are informed of the risks before the immunisation campaigns begin? If not, why not? And if so, what measures can you let us have? Thank you.
Madam Speaker, I am sure you will appreciate that that is a new question altogether. I was asked a question about the use of the Tamiflu vaccine, which is supposed to have been banned in the United States of America, and I reported that there is no such vaccine anywhere in the world. We are not going to vaccinate anybody with Tamiflu. So, if you want to ask another question about something that happened in the UK in 1976, can that question come? We will be able to respond to it then, but this is the question I have been asked for today.
Madam Chair, on a point of order: We have an immunisation roll-out on Monday. This is very serious, and it might be funny just to ...
Hon member, you were supposed to ask a follow-up question according to the response of the Minister. Therefore, take your seat.
Sorry, Chair, I think there is a misunderstanding, because ...
No, hon member, I am not going to deal with misunderstandings between you and the Minister. Just take your seat.
Thank you, Chairperson. The department is set to start an H1N1 flu immunisation campaign on Monday, and that is stipulated in the question, hon Minister. That is 15 March. However, the vaccine has not been approved by the MCC yet. This highlights, once again, the lack of ability by the department to deal effectively with potential epidemics. How does the Minister intend to start a campaign when the vaccine has not been approved? I thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Look, we have made a date, the possible start date of the vaccination campaign. If we are not ready; if, by any chance, the Medicines Control Council, MCC, has not yet passed that particular vaccine, we will definitely postpone the campaign. The vaccines we are using here have been passed elsewhere in the world. I announced in this House, during the debate on the state of the nation address, the vaccines that have been ordered from countries around the world, the vaccines that have been passed by relevant medical authorities around the world, and the number of vaccines that are being donated to South Africa.
If there is any technical problem that the hon Waters knows of or might have encountered or has mentioned, then we will inform people accordingly. Vaccination is not an emergency, in this case. We are just vaccinating people before the winter period in which, we believe, the H1N1 virus will become a problem.
Thanks, Chairperson. Hon Minister, you can ridicule the hon Dudley when you understand the context within which she was asking the question, but the issue is ...
Hon member, you have to raise your question according to the response of the Minister. Whether he ridiculed the member or not is none of your concern. Okay, continue then.
I am there. It is unfortunate that I am told to ask the question before I've finished the sentence, because that was my preamble to the question. And there is nothing stopping me from having a preamble to a question.
Hon Minister, if the MCC has not approved the vaccine, and you have created the impression that the roll-out will take place as from Monday, why did you not communicate that you might have to change the deadline?
Madam Speaker, I am not really sure what this war is all about here. I have not ridiculed anybody. I have just stated facts. I was asked a question about a vaccine called Tamiflu, which does not exist. Where does ridiculing come in? I am not ridiculing anybody.
But on the issue of immunisation, Madam Speaker, the decision whether a drug is safe to immunise people with, or to give to people, is not made in Parliament. All around the world, it is done by scientists. It is never made in Parliament by me, but by scientists. [Laughter.] [Applause.] All the vaccines that are available now have been passed, even by the World Health Organisation. That is the body of scientists and authorities from around the world, authorities in medical matters, even higher than this Parliament. If they decide that this vaccine can be used, we actually use it.
So, I am not sure whether we should debate it here in this Parliament. We do not have that knowledge. I do not know where you will have got it from, because I have never seen you going to any university of medicine to study these things. [Laughter.] So, why don't you leave it to scientists? [Applause.] Please, allow the scientists to deal with this matter and let us stop politicising these issues!
Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Minister, for your answer to the question, but I think this question has just been thrown open now, in whichever way one wants to take it.
Can the hon Minister perhaps tell the House what the side effects are of Tamiflu tablets, which are used to treat the virus? Perhaps that is what the question should have been, as we are agreed that there is no such thing as the Tamiflu vaccine. It does not exist. The vaccine is the H1N1 vaccine. So, perhaps we should move in the direction that perhaps the original question was really about Tamiflu tablets, which are actually for the treatment of the virus - it is not a vaccine. So, perhaps the hon Minister can help the House and enlighten them on the side effects. [Applause.]
That, Madam Chair, I am indeed able to do. That I am able to do. Tamiflu was used very successfully during the H1N1 outbreak we experienced. I even wrote you letters, hon members, if you remember, and I told you about Tamiflu. All of you received those letters. We do not know of any significant side effects during that campaign, or whether anybody complained of side effects of Tamiflu that makes it worth withdrawing, nor do we know of any part of the world where Tamiflu has been withdrawn because of side effects. It is used successfully as an antiviral against H1N1, and throughout that campaign we never experienced any problems. Thank you. [Applause.]
Policy and budget regarding development of hostels at mines
76. Mr B W Dhlamini (IFP) asked the Minister of Human Settlements:
Whether his department has a policy and specific budget for the development of hostels at mines; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NO604E
House Chairperson, hon Dhlamini's question is about whether or not we have a budget and a policy for upgrading hostels at mines. The answer is, fortunately, no. The hostels on mine properties are the domain of the mining houses and various other corporations. Nevertheless, those corporations have a duty to upgrade those hostels in line with government policy that says we must do away with single-sex hostels, which are associated with degrading human conditions.
Let me give further information. From our side as government, we do have a policy as well as a budget for those hostels owned by government, in this case the various municipalities. I would like to invite hon Dhlamini to come with us to visit Dube hostel - Umntwana [Prince] knows that hostel very well - which is near my home. There he will experience the first phase of the improvement of that hostel, part of the process that will see the upgrading of all hostels that need it. We will be travelling with the President of the Republic to visit the hostel at Dube, so that you can see how the policy as well as the budget is being implemented regarding our own hostels. But, regarding those of mining companies the answer is no. [Applause.]
Is Mr Dhlamini in?
Deputy Speaker, I would like to apologise on behalf of Mr Dhlamini, who had to go away. Also, I would like to accept the invitation that the Minister has extended to him to visit Dube hostel. Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, in terms of the Mining Charter the Minister is required, in consultation with the Minister of Minerals and Energy, to develop a housing and living condition policy for the mining industry. This requirement would have been finalised by February 2009. Therefore, can the hon Minister tell us whether this has been implemented? If not, why not? If it has been implemented, in which provinces have units been upgraded? Also, could the Minister tell us how many units have been upgraded, and what type of upgrades have been installed? Thank you.
House Chair, well, that is a new question altogether; it is not a follow-up. However, let me again state that the policy is in place and it only affects the upgrade of systems owned by government. The Department of Human Settlements itself does not own any properties. These properties are owned by municipalities.
Working together with the municipalities, we are making sure that these upgrades will take place. Secondly, we are also making sure that ownership eventually gets transferred to the people themselves. Thirdly, we want to make sure that those hostels and other such structures are integrated into the various townships and villages in which they are located.
During the days of apartheid, such structures were kept away from people and people were isolated whilst they were located within townships and villages. The integration of all these systems is part of the mandate of the Department of Human Settlements, so that all people have a sense of belonging. Thank you.
House Chair, can the Minister confirm - as he said earlier - that Dube is now closer to Houghton, because it's near his house? [Laughter.] Furthermore, can the Minister tell us whether government is doing anything regarding the private sector's request for assistance in converting some of the hostels or building decent accommodation closer to the mines?
House Chairperson, may I ask the hon member to please repeat the question because I was taking notes. [Laughter.]
House Chairperson, my question is based on the fact that, at some point, some of the mining houses approached government and expressed the new that they would like government to provide subsidies to areas where they wanted to build houses closer to the hostels and to convert the hostels into proper, decent accommodation. Could the hon Minister tell us whether that is being pursued?
House Chairperson, I would also like to refer the hon member to the answer I gave in reference to why it is important for mining houses to take care of their own. However, government legislation is very, very clear in respect of human settlement: Where people work must be where they play and, also, stay.
The mining houses - and I've said this in the past have the obligation to build houses for their own staff; the thousands of mineworkers who go underground every day. Secondly, in terms of the new mandate, when building houses for their staff, they have to take into account the fact that those mines are located within specific existing communities. Northam Platinum mines, where 3 000 houses had to be built for staff, including people from the local community, is a key example to keep in mind. Therefore, the Department of Human Settlements is no longer about housing.
In as much as mines are there, they should not be stand-alone entities. It is about the integration of communities and the consolidation of resources, both of these mining houses and of the municipalities, provinces and government assisting these communities. So, working together with communities at provincial and local government levels, and including the mines, we are putting an integrated strategy on the ground.
I would like the House to rest reassured that my task as Minister is to ensure that such policies eventually assist the poorest of the poor by deterring the mining companies from using loopholes in government policies - because sometimes it's their money - to get away with what they have been doing over a period of time. I thank you.
Research findings and interventions regarding learner retention in schools
45. Ms F I Chohan (ANC) asked the Minister of Basic Education:
(a) What were the findings of the research that was conducted into learner retention in schools and (b) what interventions were identified by her department to address any challenges in this regard? NO562E
Chair, the question relates to the retention and drop-out rates in our schooling system. The reply is that up to around Grade 9, we have almost 100% retention. This number reduces thereafter, because we begin to lose learners when they get to Grade 11 and 12.
To the second part of the question I want to reply that we have almost universal enrolment until the age of 16.
To the third point I want to reply that the survival rate for Grades 10, 11 and 12 between 1980 and 1984 - from research that Minister Pandor did - was 72%, 60% and 46%. This means that for Grade 10 the survival rate is 72%, for Grade 11 it is 60% and for Grade 12 it reduces dramatically. The learner retention at FET level indicates that the percentage of people with Grade 9 who reach Grade 12 tends to remain almost static over the years.
The member wants to know what methods we are using to retain learners. We use different methods. Repeaters are provided second opportunities. There is also some misunderstanding about the calculation of the drop-out rate, as we've said before. What tends to happen is that statisticians or commentators look at how many kids were registered in a particular year and calculate how many of those kids are there after 12 years. Normally, when learners have reached Grade 12, some of them have branched off to FET colleges and some have continued to matric. There is normally a misunderstanding when retention is calculated.
One reason for the dropping out of learners is repetition. When children fail, they feel discouraged and don't repeat a grade. Sometimes it is a question of parental management or control, or it's because of age. We see they drop out at the stage when they become older teenagers - around 16. Issues of criminality, teenage pregnancy and other social reasons also cause learners to drop out after Grade 9.
On the question of what interventions we have, I want to say that we are in the process of gazetting a policy on learner attendance. The policy encourages schools to investigate circumstances around learner absenteeism. Sometimes learners drop out after they have absented themselves from school for a very long time. If you are able to get them back while they are still absenting themselves, you are able to retain them in the system.
Another intervention is to expand the FET sector, to ensure that those learners who have no capacity, ability or even interest to pursue an academic field have another opportunity in an FET college. The other interventions involve working closely with stakeholders and we run ongoing campaigns to encourage parents and children to ensure that they do not drop out of school.
We are also running the Foundations for Learning campaign, which is geared at improving the quality of teaching and learning at schools, because poor teaching does discourage children from continuing their schooling. Schools that underperform have a high drop-out rate. Schools that perform well are able to retain their children longer. Again, it is all about the dysfunctional nature of some schools, which discourages children from going to school. Again, the department will attempt to ensure that there is greater adherence to the norms of age and grade by reducing repetitions through the improved quality of teaching and learning. I thank you.
Thank you, Chair, and thank you to the Minister for a comprehensive response. Clearly, dealing with this issue requires more than 10 minutes. Can I raise the issue of the survival rate between Grade 10 and 12? I am not sure whether it means that it is a survival rate. When you get to Grade 12, is it 46% of the original cohorts from Grade 1 or is it 46% of the cohorts from Grade 8?
I am also keenly interested to know whether there are accurate studies or reports that indicate if the FET facilities and sector education and training authority facilities are actually being taken up by those very learners who failed to complete their schooling. Are these places taken up by ... [Time expired.]
I hope I understood the question. The report I am working from is a report conducted by Minister Pandor in 2008. It is really dealing with the retentions up to 1984. It is, therefore, quite outdated. The point I am trying to make is that if you have a million learners that register this year and after 12 years there are only 500 000, there are reasons for there being only 500 000. I am saying that some learners are repeating, and, therefore, you will not find 100% of them. Some would have fallen pregnant. We allow them to come back, and that is part of the strategy to retain them. There is huge criminality and some learners go to prison. The point is, that 46% does not accurately reflect the number of learners who have dropped out. Some of them could have been diverted to FET colleges. They are not going to FET colleges because they are dropping out; they are going as a matter of choice. They do not want to go through the academic stream.
Chairperson, black children continue to be at the receiving end of the education system, which is clearly ailing. Recent studies have shown that drop-out rates are much lower in white and Indian communities than in coloured and black groups. This can be explained by historical reasons, but factors affecting such drop-outs are many and varied, from inexperienced teachers and teachers teaching subjects for which they are not properly qualified, to too great a dependence on foreign teachers. My question to you is: What steps are you going to take to make conditions attractive to those learners who dropped out because of the conditions in their classrooms? [Time expired.]
Chair, that is what I would have admitted upfront, even in the NCOP. As much as we admit that there is a crisis in our education system, it is not a crisis in the entire system. It is a crisis for black or African children; it affects black or African children in particular.
You have stated some of the reasons. Other reasons are the continued poverty amongst our people and the continued lack of development in our communities. Some other factors affect African kids more than kids of other races.
Those things continue to harm the development and growth of an African child. As a department, in terms of our turnaround strategy, we focus on those areas, especially in black or African schools. In these schools we still have continued challenges. That is why, in our turnaround strategies, we are focusing on those areas. [Interjections.] Let us not talk about your identity. I am saying blacks and Africans in particular. We will talk about your identity afterwards.
The point I am making is that we are introducing the no-school-fees policy because that is one of the factors causing African kids to drop out. We are introducing buses, because the distances learners must travel to schools are great. We use all sorts of methods to retain them. Allowing them to come back to school after a pregnancy is also a method to retain them. All our turnaround strategies are beginning to address those challenges that affect black children in the schooling system. It covers everybody.
Chair, I am going to speak Afrikaans. Would you like to switch on your microphone?
Minister, die werklike uitvalsyfer, korrek bereken vir die afgelope drie jaar, tussen 2007 en 2009, wissel tussen 76% en 78%. Baie redes is gegee, maar die leerders wat leerprobleme het, dra sekerlik by tot hierdie ho, skokkende uitvalsyfer.
Is u bewus daarvan dat 10% van alle leerders in ons skole aan aandagafleibaarheidsindroom ly? Tans word daar geen remedirende werk in ons skole gedoen om hierdie leerders te help nie. U departement het alle hulpsentrums gesluit, alle hulpklasse is gestop en spesialis-onderwysers bestaan gewoon nie meer nie. Hierdie behoefte word dus nie aangespreek nie. Wat is u departement van plan om te doen om hierdie leerders by te staan, te begelei en te help? (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Minister, the actual drop-out rate, when correctly calculated for the past three years, between 2007 and 2009, varies between 76% and 78%. Many reasons were given, but the learners with learning disabilities are certainly contributing to this shockingly high drop-out rate.
Are you aware that 10% of all learners in our schools are suffering from attention deficit disorder? Currently, no remedial work is being done in our schools to support these learners. Your department closed all help centres and all support classes were stopped, and specialist teachers simply do not exist any more. This need, therefore, is not being addressed. What plans does your department have to support, guide and help these learners?]
I am going to answer in Sesotho. Get yourself ready for a response in Sesotho. [Laughter.]
Bothata bo teng mme jwalokaha ke hlalositse, mathata a mangata mme a fapane. O bua nnete ha o re tsietsi e nngwe e hlaha hobane ... [Kena hanong.] (Translation of Sesotho paragraph follows.)
[There is a problem, and as I have mentioned, there are many problems and they all differ. You are quite right when you say that another problem exists because ... [Interjections.]]
Order, hon members. Can we have interpretation please?
LETONA LA THUTO YA MOTHEO: ... ho na le bana ba nang le ditshitiso dithutong tsa bona, jwaloka bana ba sa itekanelang. Ke dumellana le wena moo mme lenaneo la rona la ho ntshetsa pele thuto ya rona, le shebana le oona mathata a teng hore bana ba nang le bothata ba ho ithuta, ba sitisehang, re ka ba thusa jwang. Re ntse re atisa lenaneo dikolong kahoo, o nepile mme re a dumellana mme nke ke ka phehisana le wena. Ke keletso e ntle mme ke a e ananela. [Ditlatse]. (Translation of Sesotho paragraph follows.)
[The MINISTER OF BASIC EDUCATION: ... there are learners who have factors affecting their education, such as learners with disabilities. I agree with you on that and our programme aimed at developing our education is focusing on such problems so that learners who have learning difficulties or barriers can be assisted in some way. We are still expanding this programme in schools, and, therefore, you are quite right, we agree, and I won't say you are wrong. I appreciate your good advice. [Applause.]]
Chair, an investigation conducted at several schools in Johannesburg and Pretoria revealed that not only the high rate of failure, but also factors affecting retention and drop-out rates could be ascribed to the fact that learners struggled because they didn't know how to read and memorise; to learn; to prepare for tests, exams and assignments; they didn't know how to deal with stress during exams and didn't know how to be self-motivated.
Interviews with school principals and other educators also revealed that they felt that the teaching of learning skills should be incorporated into life orientation and be introduced to learners in Grade 10 and upwards, at the very least.
To provide a solution, programmes like these have actually been developed and even presented to the Director-General of Basic Education and certain school principals. It doesn't seem to be able to get any further. I was wondering if you have programmes like this that you are planning to implement? How do the people who have developed these programmes actually get them to become useful, because they are available and they really would make a difference? Thank you.
The reasons you are citing for underperformance are indeed some of the reasons that affect our learners. Our Foundations for Learning campaign is informed by some of the programmes that are there. In terms of the programmes that we have - I am not getting through to the director-general and I am not aware of them - I will look at them and see how we can integrate them into the system.
Also, there is a huge market in education. Now that we have said that education is an Apex Priority programme, just about any person who has been to school has a solution. I spend days listening to solutions that are just like previous solutions. Without shooting them down, I will come to look at those programmes. We will look through them, together with the acting director-general, and we will use them, if we believe that they will assist us. Thank you.
Declaration of education as an essential service
70. Dr J C Kloppers-Lourens (DA) asked the Minister of Basic Education:
(1) Whether education will be declared an essential service; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether she will make a statement on the matter? NO596E
Chairperson, the question is whether we will declare education an essential service. Labour law explains essential services as those which society cannot do without even momentarily because of the potential loss of life or limb. Education does not qualify. Services which are truly essential and are classified as essentials, such as health, fire and police, are expected by law to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year.
Public schooling operates Monday to Friday, eight to three, and only 200 days of the 365. Hence, it does not qualify. If the point is that education is a very important service - yes, it is, but according to the law it does not qualify to be an essential service. It is an Apex Priority programme - the ruling party has education as its first priority. Yes, it is an important programme but it cannot be declared an essential service according to the law of this country.
Chairperson, Minister, I do not agree with you. Poor education endangers or inconveniences the lives and the health of people. It does create a lot of inconvenience in schools and in the lives of our children. You are well aware of the fact that children are the future of this country. Can you please explain to me why health and police are declared essential services as opposed to education, which is not? After all, you and the President constantly underline the fact that education is the most important portfolio in this country and in the government.
Chairperson, I said that according to the law a service has to be available for 365 days a year if it is to be declared an essential service. It has to be available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. That is what the law says. I don't determine what the law says. We agreed with you that it is an important service, but it's not an essential service. There is no risk to life or loss of life if kids are not at school on Sunday. Why should we make schools run on Sunday because we are scared that they will die? If they don't die on Sunday, why would they die on Saturday?
Thank you, Chairperson. Notwithstanding your response, hon Minister, the President, in his meeting with leaders and stakeholders in the education fraternity, said that teachers should be in class on time and teaching. What is the Ministry doing to ensure that this commitment is realised, as well as improving the national senior certificate pass rate in 2010?
Chairperson, hon member, you would have picked up on our campaign where we are using the law to make sure that when teachers have to be at school, they are there. They can only absent themselves for health reasons or unavoidable circumstances.
We are looking at time books and at other measures. We are also working very hard with the labour unions to assist us. But the bottom line is, even if you bring in an inspectorate, the only people who can monitor teachers to be in class on time and doing their jobs are the principals. We are working with principals and governing bodies to ensure that.
With regard to improving the quality of our schools, the report commissioned by Minister Pandor states: "For any school to succeed, it has to be functional". We are focusing our energy on making schools highly functional and on dealing with dysfunctionality affecting our schools. All other support cannot work until such time as you get your schools functional. We are focusing on school functionality.
Deputy Chair, can the Minister please tell us the following. We all agree that unions play a very important role in our education system. They can also play a more important role in the future of education, particularly if they can agree to the implementation of performance assessment. That is essentially what this question is about: How will the Minister manage to convince the unions, the alliance partners of the ruling party? She must bear in mind that she can no longer present any further excuses to the parents of this country and to the learners in our education system if schooling hours are disrupted by union industrial action.
Chairperson, regarding the question of assessment, I am not aware of teachers having said to us that they don't want to be assessed. We need to admit upfront that the assessment tools of government itself, which have been put in place and agreed to at the Labour Relations Council, have not been effective on the part of government.
Unions have never refused to allow assessment procedures. I don't want to blame unions where they are not wrong. The weakness has been on our side. That is why we are improving our assessment tools, so that they will work. We are working on it. It is not that unions are refusing to be assessed.
On the question of disruptions, at the beginning of the year all our teacher unions, nationally, came and we are getting to an agreement with them on labour peace. As the department we have to clear things on our part which are sources of conflict. They have committed themselves to working hard and making sure that they can manage their workers. We are very tough on them. We are entering into a memorandum of agreement. I can assure you that we will have labour peace. We won't be giving parents excuses. We have never given them excuses. I am honest: It is not the weakness of the teacher unions but of the system, where teachers were not properly evaluated. We are working on it and correcting it.
The main goal is to achieve quality education. You will not achieve this objective as long as schools have become - to borrow a phrase - "black boxes", where nobody knows what is happening in the classroom. Even the Minister doesn't know what is happening inside the classrooms. The department becomes ambivalent when it comes to introducing inspectors.
Two to three weeks ago, unions expressed their rejection of the call by the President in his state of the nation address for the re-introduction of inspectors of schools to inspect teachers and learners. What is the Minister going to do about this rejection? Are you going to wait for collective bargaining? [Time expired.]
UNGQONGQOSHE WEMFUNDO EYISISEKELO: Baba uMpontshane angikhulume ngesiZulu, mhlawumbe ngizophendula kahle. Ekuqaleni kukaMbasa i-Needu izongena isebenze. Sivumelene ngalokho futhi ayikho inkinga nengxabano kulokho. I- Nedo izoqala ukuhlola othisha kanye nalo lonke uhlelo. Ngoba ezinye izinkinga ezikhona, akuzona izinkinga zothisha kepha yizinkinga zohlelo njengokuthi uma izincwadi zingafikanga kuthi kanti nezikole azilungisiwe. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.) [The MINISTER OF BASIC EDUCATION: Hon Mpontshane, let me speak isiZulu - maybe I will respond well. Nedo will start operating at the beginning of April. We agreed about that and there are no problems or conflicts regarding that. Needu, the National Education Evaluation and Development Unit, will start assessing teachers as well as the whole programme. Some of the problems are not created by teachers but are operational problems, like when books are not delivered on time and when schools are not in good shape.]
Therefore, we are saying, we are going to assess and evaluate the whole system and have a development.
Into yabahloli, mina nawe sike safundisa siyazi ukuthi leya nto ayizange isebenze, sesiyayithanda ngoba ingasekho. Ngike ngafundisa iminyaka, umhloli ubeza kanye nje. Mina ngiyakhumbula ukuthi ngahlolwa kanye nje futhi ngihlolwa ngumuntu ezongihlola ngento angayazi, engazi nokuthi ngifundisani kodwa ngoba kuthiwa nje ungumhloli kwakufanele abe lapho. Ayizange isebenze leyo nto. Ayilahlwa nje ngoba ingathandwa noma ngoba singafuni ukuthi othisha bahlolwe, cha. Yalahlwa nje ngoba abanye babeyisebenzisela ukuzihlangula, ... yinto engazange ilethe ... (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
The inspectorate system has never worked - you and I know this very well since we were both educators at some stage. We know that that system has never functioned; hence we like it now that it is no longer in use. I have been a teacher for years and the inspector used to come only once in a while. I remember that I was assessed only once by someone who did not know what he was doing and did not even know what I was teaching, but because he was an inspector he had to be there. That system could not function. It was not discarded just because we did not like it or because we do not want teachers to be assessed. No. It was discarded because others were using it as an excuse for not performing ... it did not bear any ...]
... ke hore ha e a tlisa molemo o itseng. [... that is, it did not bring any results.]
Asethembe ukuthi mhlawumbe i-Nedo izosebenza kangconywana ngoba uma isiqede ukuhlola izohlala, ilethe intuthuko. Ngaleyo ndlela sicabanga ukuthi iyona ezolungisa lolu daba. Asiyilahli ngoba mhlambe othisha bengayifuni noma silinde ukuthi kuvume bona - asilindanga lokho. NgoMbasa iyaqala i-Nedo, izobe inkulu ngaphezuzulu kokuhlolwa - ukuhlolwa kothisha ngenye nje ingxenye yalokhu kuhlolwa. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
Let us hope that maybe Needu will function better because after it has completed the assessments it will remain on the site and bring development. In that way, we think it is the body that will correct this situation. We are not discarding this system just because the teachers are not in favour of it or maybe we are waiting for them to first agree - no, we are not waiting for that. Needu will start operating in April and it will be bigger than the inspectorate - assessing teachers is just a part of this inspectorate. Thank you.][Applause.]
Criteria regarding exclusion of patients from dialysis treatment in state hospitals and state-supported dialysis centres
44. Rev H M Dandala (Cope) asked the Minister of Health:
Whether the impoverished background of a person was used in state hospitals and state-supported dialysis centres to exclude renal patients from accessing dialysis treatment; if not, what has been the situation in 2009 at state hospitals and state-supported dialysis centres nationally; if so, (a) how many patients from an impoverished background were denied entry into the dialysis treatment programme in 2009 and (b) at which centres?