The civil rights watchdog AfriForum views Panyaza Lesufi’s move from the education portfolio as a gain for education in Gauteng. David Makhura, Premier of Gauteng, announced that Lesufi would in future be the MEC for finance and e-government in Gauteng.
Lesufi made no secret of his contempt for Afrikaans speakers and that he targeted Afrikaans schools. This despite the drastic need for quality education, enough schools and the development and application of mother-tongue education in Gauteng – issues he should rather have focused on.
His attempts over the last five years to have prospective grade 1 and grade 8 learners registered online also caused major problems.
AfriForum hopes that Ms Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, the new MEC for education, will work towards taking Gauteng education to new heights, address current problems and no longer target Afrikaans and Afrikaans education for political gain.
“It would be wonderful if education in Gauteng is advanced more fairly in future, if mutual recognition and respect triumph and, above all, if development of children will be the ultimate goal – and not the anglicisation of schools,” says Carien Bloem, AfriForum’s Project Coordinator for Education.
“AfriForum can only hope that Lesufi’s new portfolio – MEC for finance and e-government – won’t result in a dismal failure on his guard,” Bloem concludes.