By Marc Davies
Emphatically denouncing the Eastern Cape administration, DA leader Helen Zille described education in the province as a “holy mess” at the party’s recent elective conference in Grahamstown. The event, attended by approximately 500 party members, heard Zille’s commentary on local schools only two weeks after her inflammatory comments on “education refugees” fleeing to Western Cape schools from the Eastern Cape.
The Western Cape Premiere and DA leader said the average school pupil in the Eastern Cape is likely to receive “a worse education than she would in parts of war-ravaged Congo”. She subsequently claimed that “tough minister” of Basic Education Angie Motshekga has attempted to rectify the issue of severely overcrowded and failing schools, but has been deterred by the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU). According to Zille, President Jacob Zuma has been subtly sacrificing Eastern Cape children to ensure support from COSATU and SADTU in the pivotal ANC Mangaung presidential election in December this year.