Deputy Chairperson, hon Deputy Minister, I would like to welcome the statement and the remarks made by the hon Minister Angie Motshekga regarding the renewal and the revival plan for the Department of Education in the Eastern Cape province. We are indeed happy that the Minister has invoked a section 100 intervention with a clear plan that makes practical and purposeful proposals to resolve the problems of the Eastern Cape department of education. Hon Deputy Chairperson, we welcome the statement of the Minister because, as representatives of the Eastern Cape province, we are aware and very much concerned about challenges facing the provincial department of education. We are aware that teaching and learning in the province could not start when the schools opened early this year due to these problems, including the termination of temporary teachers, which posed serious challenges to teaching and learning; displaced teachers, lack of infrastructure, and the suspension of scholar transport and the nutrition programme.
Hon Deputy Chairperson, this intervention by the Minister is mostly welcomed because we know that the ANC has made it clear that education is not only pivotal to economic prosperity in South Africa, but also plays a crucial role in enabling the country to improve the quality of life of our people. We say this because this intervention by the Minister sends a clear message that, as the ANC government, we take the delivery of quality services to our people very seriously.
We also welcome the intervention of the Minister because it expresses a clear message of hope to the people of the Eastern Cape province that the ANC government shall not fold its arms when any institution or structure of government that is charged with the important national duty of changing the lives of our people slumbers or shows utter disregard for this national duty.
The intervention by the Minister is also an expression that education remains the fundamental vehicle of transforming South Africa from a past characterised by inequality, separate development and racial discrimination. It is a clear message that we regard education as an important component in the successful implementation of our national vision to afford our people an opportunity to break the cycle of generation poverty.
Finally, Deputy Minister, we want to reassure the Minister that the Eastern Cape province has many men and women who have dedicated their lives to ensuring that the people of the Eastern Cape also enjoy quality education; and that our system of education is improved and our children in the province, especially those from poor families, do benefit from the opportunities of our democracy. We want to reassure you, hon Deputy Minister and Minister, that you have our support in turning the tide in the Eastern Cape department of education. I thank you. [Applause.]