Limpopo Department of Education under scrutiny

The Department of Education in Limpopo has been under fire lately. Apart from being subjected to a gruelling Standing Committee on Public Affairs (Scopa) hearing last Friday, it also had a visit by the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga earlier that week and a National Council of Provinces (NCOP) oversight visit to Sekhukhune District.
This week the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has been doing an oversight visit which commenced on Monday with a visit to the MEC’s Office where they met with senior and district officials and officials from the Department of Basic Education.
They later met with officials from Departments of Cooperative Government, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs and Social Development and still later that afternoon with organised labour.
Tuesday was spent in the Capricorn district with meetings with the School Governing Boards Association and the Principals’ Association followed by a meeting with rights organisation Section 27 and Education for All, two organisations that is keeping an eye on various aspects of service delivery within the department such as sanitation at schools and text book delivery.
They are also involved in a court case with the department following the drowning in a pit toilet of six-year old Michael Komape in 2014 and trying to force the eradication of the pit toilet system at schools.
The afternoon was spent with in loco visits to the Mastec Continuous Professional Development Institute, a printing and storage facility as well as to Setotolwane Special School.
On Wednesday the committee was to go to Vhembe and planned to visit the District offices, followed by visits to the Mbilwi Secondary School, Marude Secondary School, Tshikudeni Primary School, a storage facility, the Vhafamadi Secondary School and the Manadze and Kurhuleni Primary Schools.
The delegation planned to visit the Rivoni Special School and then split to visit the Masakona-Rasikhutuma Primary and Tshinange Senior Secondary Schools today before returning to Polokwane for a debriefing and wrap-up session.
“The Portfolio Committee will, during its oversight visit to education districts in Limpopo monitor amongst other things, readiness for the Grade 12 final examinations, while monitoring overall infrastructure and education in the province,” Portfolio Committee Spokesperson Rajaa Azzakani said on Tuesday.
The committee will depart on Friday to finalise their report to Parliament.

Story: NELIE ERASMUS
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