Speaker, during the state of the nation address earlier this year, President Zuma promised to assist teachers nationwide to do their jobs more efficiently by equipping them with computers or laptops.
Whilst the IFP appreciates that promises to the electorate are part of any political party's campaign, our role as the opposition is to ensure that promises made by the ruling party are indeed acted on and implemented.
The IFP would, therefore, like to bring to the attention of the House that nothing came of that promise. As the year draws to an end, many teachers have been told that the department will assist them with buying computers, but only through a subsidy. This leaves teachers with the extra burden of having to pay for the equipment themselves. That is a financial burden they would not be able to carry with their meagre salaries.
The IFP believes that this is yet another classic example of the ruling party's empty promises. Our teachers are already struggling to cope with an almost dysfunctional education system on a daily basis. I thank you. [Time expired.]