New head of Eastern Cape education named

The Eastern Cape Education department has a new head - Themba Kojana.

The new superintendent-general is now in charge of the R31-billion budget since today, a budget which amounts to 45% of  the province’s total budget. 

Kojana has been the deputy director-general (DDG) responsible for teachers, education human resources and institutional development at the national Basic Education Department.

He was short-listed along with  national Higher Education Department’s DDG of corporate management services, Lulama Mbobo, following the submission of 26 applications for the top job.

He replaces Mthunywa Ngonzo whom Education MEC Mandla Makupula suspended in June 2014 on charges related to allegations of mismanagement of a R46-million school furniture tender.

The tender was awarded to 14 companies but the Bhisho High Court set it aside in March 2014 after it ruled the tender had been awarded irregularly and unlawfully. But Ngonzo challenged his suspension in court and won. Subsequently, he resigned last year after a settlement was reached between the employer and employee.

Ray Tywakadi has been acting SG since.

This is the department which failed to spend more than R500-million earmarked for schools infrastructure in the past financial year, even though some pupils are still studying in unsafe schools.

It was in Port Elizabeth’s Northern areas where thousands of pupils, at the beginning of this year, boycotted classes over the  department’s failure to appoint teachers. Reacting to Kojana’s appointment, ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said they are sitting with several letters from teachers who have not been paid for more than six months, even though their posts have been budgeted for.

“We can’t continue to allow a situation where teachers have to worry about whether they will get paid or not. That is unacceptable. We expect the new SG to deal with such teething issues,” said Mabuyane.