More woes for Angie

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga remains under pressure from two non-government organisations that are demanding that she improve the education system.

NGO Section 27 - which fought her on the non-delivery of textbooks to schools last year, especially in Limpopo - now wants her to ensure that desks and chairs are provided for 200000 pupils in the province.

The NGO is also monitoring the department's efforts to improve sanitation at schools after 414 were found to be in urgent need of ablution facilities.

Equal Education wants the minister, after several postponements on her part, to write into law a schedule of norms and standards for school infrastructure.

The relationship between Motshekga and the NGO soured further last week when Motshekga accused Equal Education of launching a "racist attack" by taking to the streets to raise its concerns. After days of tension, she met representatives of Equal Education on Sunday.

At the meeting she said that she needed to meet the National Economic Development and Labour Council and be given six more months "to consult".

Department spokesman Hope Mokgathle said no agreement was reached but "the parties will meet again soon."

Equal Education chairman Yoliswa Dwane said the meeting was "robust and constructive", adding that any agreement would have to be made an order of court.

As Motshekga deals with Equal Education, Section 27 is pressing ahead, demanding that she provide 806 schools in Limpopo with desks and chairs.

The minister missed a March deadline.

Section 27 lawyer Nikki Stein said there were almost 200000 pupils in Limpopo who were without desks, according to the department's figures. The group suspected that there are more.

The department set aside R30-million for the purchase of desks this year but Section 27 said it knew of only one school that had received desks.

Stein said the department was making good progress in providing schools with toilets.

Toilets in the worst-affected Limpopo schools resemble holes in the ground and others have sewage overflowing.

Some toilet blocks have no enclosure.

Stein said the NGO had been in touch with 12 schools that had been given toilets. It intends to monitor all 414 of the affected schools.

"We're also hearing positive reports of hand-washing facilities being built," he said.

The department refused to comment on why some schools in Limpopo had no desks and chairs.

President Jacob Zuma has defended Motshekga's performance , saying her critics should remember where South African education was before 1994.