Hon Chairperson, Mpumalanga has promised to get rid of mud schools. Government has committed itself to improving infrastructure, including attending to more than 3 000 schools that need to be brought up to basic safety functionality levels by 2014. The ANC welcomes the Mpumalanga Education department's R620 million budget commitment to get rid of mud schools in the province, build extra classes, provide a school for pupils with special needs, and refurbish dilapidated buildings.
The department spokesperson, Jasper Zwane, said R379 million would be used to accelerate school infrastructure development and to eradicate mud and unsafe structures at schools. The ANC believes the programme of building new schools to replace mud schools must continue and must form part of the infrastructure and the Expanded Public Works Programme, and should be emulated by other provinces. I thank you.