New textbook scandal rocks Limpopo

31 March 2014 - 02:07 By Poppy Louw
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Angie Motshekga. File photo.
Angie Motshekga. File photo.
Image: Gallo Images / Foto24 / Deaan Vivier)

Angie Motshekga survived calls for her head following the 2012 textbooks saga but her department has yet again failed to keep its promise to deliver all the books schools need in time for the first term.

Tomorrow the Pretoria High Court will hear that more than 20 schools in Limpopo are still without textbooks. Schools close on Friday.

Last week social justice NGO Section27 went to court after unsuccessfully attempting to have textbooks delivered to thousands of pupils in the province.

City Press yesterday reported that 23 schools were still short of more than 18000 books.

Solanga Milambo, a Section27 activist in Giyani, could not establish the exact number of pupils affected but said some schools were short of about 100 books per grade.

"The minister [of Basic Education] promised a complete delivery by the end of 2013," he said.

"A report by the department said 99% of schools had received textbooks by then but Limpopo is once again lagging behind," Milambo said.

Basic Education spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said the department "received the papers on Friday and will defend the matter in court".

Milambo said more than 10 schools withdrew from the court application from "fear of victimisation".

Late last year Motshekga said delivery of textbooks for the 2014 academic year was almost complete in all provinces.

"We are confident that, by the start of the school year, all learners will have a textbook in their hand," Motshekga said at the time.

Section27, however, has been closely monitoring the delivery of textbooks in the province since the 2012 debacle and was asked by a number of schools to take the matter to court.

"We have been corresponding with the department since January to give them a chance to respond by delivering on their promise but there has been no action.

"Teachers and parents can no longer tolerate the lack of textbooks," Milambo said.

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