As Tuesday’s snap debate in the National Assembly on the violence that has left more than 20 Vuwani schools destroyed degenerated in to heckling and points of orders‚ one MP said the issue “should not be used as a petty point-scoring exercise”.
The Democratic Alliance’s Desiree van der Walt‚ who hails from Limpopo‚ said: “I know Vuwani very well. It is one of the most beautiful parts of my province‚ but also one of the poorest.”
She told of visiting “Vuwani after the schools were torched” and speaking to “to a mother whose four children had no school left to go to”.
“She was in tears‚ as she asked what would happen to her children if they could not finish their education‚” Van der Walt told the house.
“Every cent of her small income is already spent on giving her children the opportunities she never had. Where will she get the R1200 per month it will cost to transport her children to other schools?”
“What happened in Vuwani is a tragedy‚ and it should not be used as a petty point-scoring exercise.”
She even lauded “Minister of Basic Education‚ Angie Motshekga‚ whose quick oversight and action in meeting with stakeholders and putting plans in action deserves applause”.
But‚ Van der Walt aslo noted that “Motshekga’s counterparts‚ the premier of Limpopo‚ the MEC‚ as well as the Limpopo Education Department once again let her down” and urged for the provincial department to “be put back under full administration of the national department”.
“The burning of our children’s schools is unacceptable by any standard. We have lost hundreds of millions of rands that could have been spent on improving education facilities for those who do not have any.
“Many learners in the area get their daily meals at school. And so it was painful to learn that‚ out of desperation to save their schools‚ people resorted to using the milk of the school’s feeding scheme in an attempt to put out the fires.”
The debate had‚ earlier‚ been in danger of being derailed when a number of Economic Freedom Fighters MPs raised a number of points of order before calm was restored.
MPs scolded: ‘Vuwani is a tragedy‚ not a petty point-scoring exercise’
As Tuesday’s snap debate in the National Assembly on the violence that has left more than 20 Vuwani schools destroyed degenerated in to heckling and points of orders‚ one MP said the issue “should not be used as a petty point-scoring exercise”.
The Democratic Alliance’s Desiree van der Walt‚ who hails from Limpopo‚ said: “I know Vuwani very well. It is one of the most beautiful parts of my province‚ but also one of the poorest.”
She told of visiting “Vuwani after the schools were torched” and speaking to “to a mother whose four children had no school left to go to”.
“She was in tears‚ as she asked what would happen to her children if they could not finish their education‚” Van der Walt told the house.
“Every cent of her small income is already spent on giving her children the opportunities she never had. Where will she get the R1200 per month it will cost to transport her children to other schools?”
“What happened in Vuwani is a tragedy‚ and it should not be used as a petty point-scoring exercise.”
She even lauded “Minister of Basic Education‚ Angie Motshekga‚ whose quick oversight and action in meeting with stakeholders and putting plans in action deserves applause”.
But‚ Van der Walt aslo noted that “Motshekga’s counterparts‚ the premier of Limpopo‚ the MEC‚ as well as the Limpopo Education Department once again let her down” and urged for the provincial department to “be put back under full administration of the national department”.
“The burning of our children’s schools is unacceptable by any standard. We have lost hundreds of millions of rands that could have been spent on improving education facilities for those who do not have any.
“Many learners in the area get their daily meals at school. And so it was painful to learn that‚ out of desperation to save their schools‚ people resorted to using the milk of the school’s feeding scheme in an attempt to put out the fires.”
The debate had‚ earlier‚ been in danger of being derailed when a number of Economic Freedom Fighters MPs raised a number of points of order before calm was restored.
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