Chairperson, the IFP has always championed the cause of education. When some organisations misguidedly call for liberation now and education later, the IFP calls for liberation through education. When in government, in KwaZulu-Natal, the IFP used the education budget wisely and effectively. The challenge we are facing today is the handling of the budget by both the Department of Basic Education and the provincial departments. Eighty percent of the provincial budgets go towards personnel, yet we are burdened with weak administration in these provinces, the Eastern Cape being the example here.
As I speak, the Director-General of the Department of Basic Education has rushed to the Eastern Cape to put out fires there because, in spite of the intervention, the department remains at its weakest. There will be a point where the intervention will itself become invalid; where we will need to dissolve the department itself and reconstruct it because, as I have said, 80% of the budget goes to personnel, yet those people are failing in their duties. We recommend that these people who are failing our education system there should all be fired. Thank you.