The government will not take hasty action against Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga over the Limpopo textbook crisis, President Jacob Zuma said on Monday.

Speaking on 567 CapeTalk radio, he said the government had taken action to resolve the non-delivery of textbooks, but would not dismiss anyone until a task team investigation was completed.

“Wherever there has been anything, we have taken action. An investigation does not take place overnight.... We need to act fairly,” he said.

“You don’t know exactly who is responsible for that. You can’t say the minister sitting in her office in Pretoria is responsible.

“Even if the buck stops at her, she has to find out who exactly is responsible for that [crisis].... The president must weigh those facts [and then decide] was it her or not her?” 

Zuma said he could not simply jump at every damning report in the media.

“I’m sure if there was a report and I fired people every day... [people would say] I don’t follow processes of the law.” 

He said the Cabinet had taken action in Limpopo long before the textbook debacle, by putting the education department under administration.

This took place last year after the Limpopo government used up its overdraft of R7 million and tried to increase it to R1.7 billion to pay salaries in November.

Zuma told the radio station that education continued to be the government’s top priority, and received the largest budget.

“I don’t think it’s the correct statement to say that we are not making it a priority... We are also not dealing with the problem of today, we are solving the problem [of apartheid] that has affected us.”

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Thu May 23 16:12:22 SAST 2013 ::

Jul 23, 2012

Tango

Zuma said he could not simply jump at every damning report in the media.

“I’m sure if there was a report and I fired people every day... [people would say] I don’t follow processes of the law.”

He is right.
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Jul 23, 2012

SOLUTIONS

“I don’t think it’s the correct statement to say that we are not making it a priority... We are also not dealing with the problem of today, we are solving the problem [of apartheid] that has affected us.”
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LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL -- - 18 years later and text books does not get delivered, who must we blame, yes apartheid. This is getting really old now, own up, you and your administration are all incompetent blood suckers.

Is it also apartheid's fault that you have so many children you need to keep a book with you to remember their names.
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Jul 23, 2012

hulas

Last week I was conducting job interviews among applicants were the following people:
David Radzilani from Limpopo
Gilbert Merange from Limpopo
Eric Luthodo from Limpopo
Rolivhuwa Nyage

All of this people cant spell,speak,and write English.How can you employe someone without this basic important skill.All of this young stars are going to suffer for the rest of their lives.They are the victims of pathetic anc education system.I had to turn them away.

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Jul 23, 2012

Dzel

You don't seem to understand that these investigations of yours take time, effort and money yet they are going to reveal the obvious. Any Minister who says it is not her job to deliver textbooks amid a national crisis does not deserve her position regardless of what caused the crisis to begin with. She treats her job and the public with contempt, her attitude stinks.

But then again Mangaung is just around the corner and you need the ANCWL hey Zuma so we should not expect you to act, when you are not indecisive you are self-serving but releasing criminals like Sheik and Selibi from prison happens in a blink of an eye.
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Jul 23, 2012

MGEEZ

“I don’t think it’s the correct statement to say that we are not making it a priority... We are also not dealing with the problem of today, we are solving the problem [of apartheid] that has affected us.”
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I give up!!!! What has Apartheid to do with Angie not delivering text books? Indeed I rest my case.
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Jul 23, 2012

RobinH

The thing is, dear Prez, no-one is acting "hastily" in this fiasco. The inability of the dept to meet the deadlilnes is just incomprehensible and utterly unacceptable.
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Jul 23, 2012

Kgaoza606

Your decision making never ceases to amaze Mr President...
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Jul 23, 2012

ModiseP

My point of view,the Minister not supposed to be blamed.I think there is mission of how to deliver books in schools country wide.Nationally is the minister herself and provincially appointed member.Minister doesn't have the total figure of books to be delivered country wide.Appointed members from provinces got that figures out.The books must be delivered on Top-up policy meaning the Dept issued estimated books and when they are not enough,appointed members must inform the Minister for Top -up that is why the Limpopo appointed members was fired.
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Jul 23, 2012

Keafixa

apartheid ........in this day and age......no wonda Erni Els still thinks Mandela is the president bcos o moya wa president wena zuma
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Jul 23, 2012

bizoro

Ahh msholozi at his best (stupid), he needs an investigation to fire the these useless basterds but he does not waiste any time to release his criminal friends from jail.
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