Hon Speaker and hon Smiles, the Minister of Basic Education did not conclude an agreement between the MEC for education in the Eastern Cape and the SA Democratic Teachers' Union, Sadtu, on 8 February 2012. Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, I think the hon Deputy Minister and the Ministry have to take account of what should be done in the Eastern Cape. Learners in the Eastern Cape are being let down on a daily basis by the Eastern Cape department of education and indirectly by the Department of Basic Education.
They have surely been let down again today when the SA Democratic Teachers' Union's teachers abandoned classrooms and participated in the Congress of SA Trade Unions' national strike to end toll roads in Gauteng even though this is an issue that has nothing to do with education in the province of the Eastern Cape. This action goes against the letter and spirit of the agreement which was signed by Sadtu and the Eastern Cape provincial government on 8 February, and that helped to bring to an end the go-slow in that province.
Now that the union is on strike again for reasons unrelated to its work, what does the Minister plan to do to make sure that Sadtu members abide by the agreement? [Time expired.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, the question is whether the Minister was party to the signature of an agreement. The follow- up question is certainly not consistent with the principal question, given the reality that the Minister was not party to the agreement. I think the follow-up question should be addressed to Cosatu as well as to the provincial department of education. Thank you very much.
Deputy Speaker, thank you. Deputy Minister, it's quite amazing that you have just said that the last question should be addressed to the provincial department of education when the intervention in terms of section 101(b) means that the national Department of Education is actually controlling education in the Eastern Cape.
Two nongovernmental organisations have filed an application in the Eastern Cape High Court in Bisho, seeking an order to direct the national Cabinet and national department to clarify their obligations in terms of the President's order that the national department take over the running of the Eastern Cape's provincial department of education. Lawyers for the national Education department have filed notices of opposition to the court case. This is bizarre. There exists a continuing lack of clarity as to precisely what powers, responsibilities and administrative functions have been taken over by the national government pursuant to the intervention, severely undermining education in the province.
Deputy Minister, why does your Ministry not wish to clarify obligations in respect of the constitutional rights of Eastern Cape children to quality education? Why does your Ministry not want to state publicly exactly what the department is and will be doing in the Eastern Cape? Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, I think the hon member is trying to sneak in a question from the side. For clarity, I am not going to evade the question. I will assist you. [Interjections.]
You don't have the patience to listen, so why should I answer? Then I would say to you that it's not relevant to the principal question - thank you very much - because you don't have respect for a response that is going to come from the Ministry. So, if you want to be quiet and if you want to listen attentively, please say so. Sit quietly, and I will explain. [Applause.]
Order, hon members! Could the Deputy Minister answer the question please? Could you give him that opportunity?
Firstly, with regard to litigation, all the members, I assume, have knowledge of the fact that you cannot speak on a matter that is sub judice. With regard to the intervention ... [Interjections.] ... No, that is true. It is sub judice; I cannot speak on the matter. [Interjections.] Perhaps, since they do not have the patience or the indulgence to listen, I would say that the follow-up question does not correspond with the principal question and therefore I am not obliged to answer it. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Deputy Minister ...
Order! Are you Van der Merwe today?
I am sorry. I pressed the wrong button. Can I speak, hon Deputy Speaker? Hon Deputy Minister, during our oversight visit to the Eastern Cape recently we learnt that there was an agreement between the unions and the Department of Education to co-govern. As a result, many directives from the national department cannot be implemented because of that agreement to co-govern. For instance, as I speak, there is a special transfer for infrastructure development to the Libode district. That directive or that money cannot be used because there is that confrontation between the unions and the department. Deputy Minister, how are you going to intervene so that learners and everybody benefit?
Hon Deputy Speaker, hon members, indeed we are opposed to any form of co-governance between the union and any government, whether it's in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal or any other province.
With regard to the intervention itself, the national government is completely intent on fulfilling its obligations in terms of section 101(b). The provincial government has agreed to the full implementation of section 101(b). A report has been submitted to Cabinet with regard to recommendations that have been made by a task team of Deputy Ministers who visited the provinces and consulted with all the stakeholders over the two- day period. Cabinet has considered the matter for over a year, and an announcement will be made with regard to the recommendations.
We are intent on dealing with the issues. We must recognise that at the time of the commencement of the intervention, there were children who were not receiving nutritious meals. There were textbooks that were not delivered, transportation had been suspended and a range of other challenges faced the province. Transport has been provided, children are being fed every day in school, textbooks and workbooks have been delivered - there may be challenges in certain areas - and the temporary teachers who had been suspended are now back in the classrooms.
Now, nobody can pretend that nothing has happened in the past year. What I am saying is that the progress may well have been uneven. There is a monitoring team that has been appointed for that particular purpose. Strict, firm recommendations have been made and will indeed be implemented in due course. But there is no challenge about the validity, legality or otherwise of the implementation of section 101(b) as a complete intervention. I hope this will assist the other side to have a better understanding. Thank you. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, Deputy Minister, I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in the Eastern Cape in making sure that you improve the delivery of quality education in that province for the benefit of the African child. We would like to thank you very much for such efforts, and we promise you that we will give you the necessary support to make sure that things change in that province and that quality education is delivered.
But then, Deputy Minister, coming to the original question that has been asked around the issue of the agreement that was reached on 8 February - since you have just mentioned that the Minister was not part of that agreement - I just want to know whether there was any consultation leading to such an agreement or whether you were aware of this, because in the end, we really need to see all the stakeholders working together to make sure that the African child in that province does benefit from a quality education. Thank you very much.
Hon member, indeed you are correct. I think all stakeholders, whether they are members of unions or members of governing bodies or political parties, have a particular responsibility regarding the interests of the child in the Eastern Cape. In that regard we have to work together.
The information which I could share with the House - because it was put in such a dignified way - is that the agreement that the hon member might be referring to in the original question is one that was facilitated by the secretariat of Cosatu and ANC alliance partners, especially the secretary- general of Cosatu. The parties involved, we understand, were the premier, the MEC for education and the head of department over there.
We are of the view that we have an institutional, political and governance responsibility. But, given the nature of the problem, if political solutions can be found which would further promote the interests of the child in the Eastern Cape, we will not stand in the way of those solutions. I think it is critical that we recognise that if at all teachers are on strike, we would have to speak to the union leaders and ask them whether this was appropriate and proper.
We tend to distort realities. For example, in the Western Cape there are teachers, we understand, who belong to unions other than Sadtu that were on strike, but that was conveniently omitted from the statement. In fact, the MEC for education in the Western Cape - recognising the political reality that members of unions other than Sadtu would be on strike - said that alternative arrangements would be made in classes to ensure that the interests of the child would not be prejudiced whilst they were on strike, legitimately and legally.
What I am appealing for is recognition of the depth and scope of the problem and the need for all of us to pull together as political parties and as stakeholders, because the realities of the Eastern Cape and the legacy of educational problems are not a matter of one or two years. They go back over more than a decade. This is something that should preoccupy each and every one of us.
Let me conclude by saying that just yesterday I was in the Eastern Cape to satisfy myself, as you would be concerned, about whether infrastructure development was taking place. I visited a school to ensure that indeed there was work being done in relation to an identified site. I visited two other schools to ensure that the Annual National Assessment, ANA, exercise that we had carried out in the country was indeed a reality. Not only did we visit the school, we visited the classroom, sat in the classroom, engaged with the learners and tested them in terms of their ability to read, write and calculate. Now if that is not sufficient in terms of an intervention, I don't know what more you want. I thank you, hon Deputy Speaker. [Applause.]
Measures to deal with maternal and infant mortality rates
65. Ms M J Segale-Diswai (ANC) asked the Minister of Health:
Whether he has taken any measures to deal with the (a) maternal and (b) infant mortality rate; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?