Chairperson, I move on behalf of the Chief Whip of the Majority Party: That the Report be noted.
Hon Chair, are we on the Fifth Order now?
Yes.
I then request a declaration by my party. [Interjections.]
I will now put the question. Those who are in favour of the report say "Aye". Those against ... [Interjections.]
Chairperson, on a point of order: I just want to raise, on a point of procedure, that it is really unprecedented for this House to receive extensive reports from a portfolio committee that went on an oversight trip, at great cost to this House, and that came back with very significant recommendations, including steps that the Department of Education should take to ensure that textbooks are delivered on time to schools in the province of Limpopo, and then to be confronted with a "noting" of that report. We believe this is wrong. We want to give this House the opportunity to take a resolution to endorse the recommendations of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education so that the Minister and the department know that they have to implement these resolutions of the House.
Thank you, hon Kilian.
Madam Chairperson, I request that the quorum be verified and a division is called.
Point of order, House Chair!
Hon Oriani-Ambrosini, the hon members of this House are being counted at this point. You will get the figure shortly. I call on the hon Minister.
House Chair, if the report is "noted", it allows the portfolio committee to further deliberate on the report. Parliament cannot "adopt" the report, particularly when it comes to provincial visits, because the portfolio committee has to request the department to come and respond to the issues ... [Interjections.] ... in terms of the outcome of the findings of the portfolio committee before the report is adopted by the House.
Secondly, you cannot call a division on a "noted" report. I really want to appeal to the members of this House, particularly the Whips, to go and read the Rules of Parliament so that they can understand clearly the difference between the noting of a report and the adoption of a report. Thank you, House Chair. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
Chairperson, I would just like to request that when a report is tabled ... [Interjections.]
Hon Kilian, I have heard you. I am waiting for the members to be counted. Can I first do that before moving on to the next speaker?
Members, are there any more declarations on the Fifth Order?
On Order number five, Madam Chair, I request a declaration to be made by the DA, as previously asked for. Thank you.
Declaration of vote:
Chairperson, the report before the House is accurate. The information it reflects is not entirely so. Inaccuracy number one is that the portfolio committee was informed in Polokwane on 5 July 2012 that the delivery of textbooks in Limpopo was 99% complete. What the committee was not told is that this indicated delivery to warehouses, not to schools. [Interjections.] It is alarming to note that on 25 July the committee was assured that the delivery to schools was 100% complete, yet yesterday two schools in Limpopo announced that they were now approaching the North Gauteng High Court for relief, having not received any textbooks. [Interjections.] Inaccuracy number two is that the administrator in Limpopo spoke of the remedial programme for Grade 10 learners who have been affected by the lack of textbooks and emphasised the department's commitment to quality basic education. The DA has been and is adamant that no remedial plan or catch-up plan - call it what you like - in effect exists. It was announced yesterday that the lack of a catch-up plan or remedial plan will now be tested in the North Gauteng High Court. We await the judgment.
It is truly a source of great sadness to me that I should rise to declare the misleading of Parliament and, in effect, of Limpopo learners by the Department of Basic Education and the Limpopo provincial department of basic education. [Applause.]
I request the members sitting at the back in the DA benches not to take photographs in this House. It is not admissible. I did not name you and you got up, so you know who you are.
Yes, Chair, I don't run away. However, I did not take a photo. I was looking for a signal to send a very urgent message to my wife. [Laughter.] I did not take a photo. There is no signal reception here.
The point is that I didn't name you, Mr Van Dalen, but you got up. [Interjections.] So, you knew what I was talking about. Alright, can we get on with the business of the House? Members, kindly note that at this point there are 182 members sitting in the House, and we can continue with our business.
Hon Chair, I rise on a point of order on behalf of the ANC: Regarding the hon member who said he was looking for a signal for his phone; his phone is actually supposed to be off in the House. So, in his defence he actually committed a further crime. [Laughter.] [Interjections.]
Alright, so we have enough members to continue with our work. Can we continue, please? The declarations are complete. What I would like to ask now is if there are any objections to these reports.
Chairperson, there is no objection to the reports.
Please don't make a long speech again, hon Kilian. [Laughter.]
No, but again I just want to raise the issue that we are not satisfied that these reports are simply for "noting" because we want to compel the Minister of Basic Education actually to do her job. Therefore, we like the contents and the recommendations, but we want the report to be adopted, not noted. Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly noted.