BOBBY Soobrayan, director-general of the Department of Basic Education , is expected to answer to the Eastern Cape over non-delivery of learning materials to schools.
This was confirmed by South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) spokesperson Isaac Mangena yesterday .
Mangena was speaking to the Daily Dispatch after the SAHRC began hearings yesterday at the commission’s head office in Johannesburg.
“As Limpopo and the Eastern Cape are under the central government’s administration, the department’s director-general will have to answer for these provinces.
“Invitations have been sent to the other provinces’ MECs ,” Mangena said, adding that the hearings were set to continue for several days.
National spokesman Panyaza Lesufi said the department’s delegation was on the way to the hearings.
Lesufi said he would only know when they arrived at the hearings whether the department would answer on behalf of the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.
Both provincial departments were put under administration by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga in 2011.
Lesufi previously stated in media reports that Motshekga would be vindicated because MECs would answer for their provinces.
Mangena would not be drawn into commenting on Lesufi’s previous statements.
Earlier yesterday, provincial education MEC Mandla Makupula said he had not been informed of any invitation from SAHRC.
Makupula said: “It’s the first time I’ll be in the office after the Easter weekend. I never received anything.
“I’ve heard about this on TV.”
On its website, SAHRC said MECs across the provinces were to be invited to appear at the hearings following disturbing reports about the non-delivery of school learning material across the country.
“It is for this reason that the commission has decided to embark on a hearing.
“To help it with its investigation, the commission will invite the director-general at the Department of Basic Education and all provincial MECs of education at the hearing to present oral and written responses to a listed number of questions around the challenges of delivery of learning material to schools,” the website said.
The commission became aware of the crisis around the delivery of learning materials in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape provinces last year.
“The seriousness of this was heightened by a number of civil campaigns and court actions resulting in three orders of the court.
“Given that the focus of previous court actions focused on challenges of learner material delivery in only two of the nine provinces, the commission wishes to investigate whether similarly situated schools in the other seven provinces face similar difficulties.”
The SAHRC said the outcome of the hearing would be the production of a national report on the state of delivery of learning materials to schools in the country.
The report would be shared with the public and sent to Parliament for implementation.
“The hearing is in line with the constitutional mandate of the commission, which includes the role of investigating human rights violations like the right of children to basic education,” the website said. — /
School debacle inquiry kicks off
This was confirmed by South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) spokesperson Isaac Mangena yesterday .
Mangena was speaking to the Daily Dispatch after the SAHRC began hearings yesterday at the commission’s head office in Johannesburg.
“As Limpopo and the Eastern Cape are under the central government’s administration, the department’s director-general will have to answer for these provinces.
“Invitations have been sent to the other provinces’ MECs ,” Mangena said, adding that the hearings were set to continue for several days.
National spokesman Panyaza Lesufi said the department’s delegation was on the way to the hearings.
Lesufi said he would only know when they arrived at the hearings whether the department would answer on behalf of the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.
Both provincial departments were put under administration by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga in 2011.
Lesufi previously stated in media reports that Motshekga would be vindicated because MECs would answer for their provinces.
Mangena would not be drawn into commenting on Lesufi’s previous statements.
Earlier yesterday, provincial education MEC Mandla Makupula said he had not been informed of any invitation from SAHRC.
Makupula said: “It’s the first time I’ll be in the office after the Easter weekend. I never received anything.
“I’ve heard about this on TV.”
On its website, SAHRC said MECs across the provinces were to be invited to appear at the hearings following disturbing reports about the non-delivery of school learning material across the country.
“It is for this reason that the commission has decided to embark on a hearing.
“To help it with its investigation, the commission will invite the director-general at the Department of Basic Education and all provincial MECs of education at the hearing to present oral and written responses to a listed number of questions around the challenges of delivery of learning material to schools,” the website said.
The commission became aware of the crisis around the delivery of learning materials in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape provinces last year.
“The seriousness of this was heightened by a number of civil campaigns and court actions resulting in three orders of the court.
“Given that the focus of previous court actions focused on challenges of learner material delivery in only two of the nine provinces, the commission wishes to investigate whether similarly situated schools in the other seven provinces face similar difficulties.”
The SAHRC said the outcome of the hearing would be the production of a national report on the state of delivery of learning materials to schools in the country.
The report would be shared with the public and sent to Parliament for implementation.
“The hearing is in line with the constitutional mandate of the commission, which includes the role of investigating human rights violations like the right of children to basic education,” the website said. — /
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