Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Deputy Minister, and members, today the NCOP is to approve the section 100 intervention by the national Minister in the Eastern Cape department of basic education. Over the past years there have been four interventions by the national Department of Education and the provincial administration of the department of basic education; and now the Minister is requesting this Council to approve her planned administration of this provincial department.
The Minister must tell us what new plans she has to improve the current situation, as we have seen too many turnaround strategies and plans that had no effect. The previous superintendent-general said that the department of basic education in the Eastern Cape was rotten to the core and was without a financial or human resources plan.
There was poor administration, there was no sound management of the procurement processes, and 90% of the officials are trading with the department. This department is corrupt and there is moral decay. At the end of 2010, the previous superintendent-general said that it was, in fact, rotten to the core. This is what has to change. The only way in which the hon Minister can turn the department around is by firing the cadres and prosecuting the fraudsters. We should make sure that they get blacklisted from future trading with the government.
A fresh start is required - a clean slate with qualified people who can now effectively manage and rebuild the department. The extent of the damage to our 2 million scholars in the Eastern Cape is horrific. The reasons for the intervention by the hon Minister are clear and just. We agree on those points.
The capital projects are not managed properly and R746 million was not used in this financial year. We need more schools other than the seven mud schools that you are going to replace. I beg you to build the high school in Jeffreys Bay and then we can stop transporting about 800 scholars to Humansdorp every day. Look at the opportunity cost of daily scholar transport, departmental and private, against the cost of building a high school.
The budget allocation in the Eastern Cape budget debate last Friday, does not talk of financial aid or bailout. Obviously it is understood that the department needs proper management. You have to take leadership and make tough decisions to clean-up the Eastern Cape department of basic education.
Only when you decide to stand alone, but firm, against the evils of cadre deployment will this intervention be an improvement on those of your predecessors. This department must be rebuilt and not taken over for a short period of time.
You have the future of the Eastern Cape in your hands. Two million scholars will be our leaders tomorrow. Education is the foundation of opportunities and dreams of millions of our learners are in the balance. I thank you. [Applause.]