February school reopening not in the best interest of learners, health experts must brief Basic Education Committee

The Democratic Alliance (DA) does not support the announcement by the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, that the reopening of schools has been pushed back by two weeks to mid-February 2021, and which has left more questions than answers, including when regulations regarding the reopening would be published.

We strongly believe that the health and safety of learners and teachers should be prioritized, however, we do not believe delaying the start of the academic year will achieve this.

Instead of halting schooling for two weeks, the Department of Basic Education (DBE), in conjunction with school districts should have used the time during the school holiday wisely and worked meticulously to equip schools with proper Covid-resources to keep learners and teachers safe.

The DA is concerned about the impact that this delay could have on the psychological and academic development of learners. The year was already set to start quite late and a further delay could cost learners dearly, with no plan to recover the lost time in learning.

The DA therefore again calls on the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education to be briefed by relevant health experts, the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) and the Departments of Basic Education and Health to ensure that the delay of the reopening of schools was indeed based on empirical proof and not political whim. Further guidance should also be given on the best way to safely reopen schools for both teachers and learners.

Many learners are still coming to terms with the disruptions to the previous academic year, and to suffer through another chaotic school year could have devastating long-term effects on the learners. Particularly those in poorer, less-resourced communities, where children also depend on the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) to provide them with regular, healthy meals.

This delay could also have consequences on school administrators who now have to go through the extra strain of finishing the curriculum in a now shortened school year.

The DA believes that a differentiated approach led by the provinces should be employed in this regard as they are not equally affected by the spread of Covid-19, with secondary waves of infection set to hit different parts of the country throughout the year until enough people are vaccinated to provide herd-immunity. A nation-wide shutdown of schools when certain areas are more highly affected would be highly illogical and damaging to learners. Instead, provincial departments of education and health should work together to determine when and if schools in the various provinces should close for a period of time.

The DBE should also communicate clear regulations as a matter of urgency to ensure that schools have enough time to comply. These regulations should stipulate the exact conditions under which schools could safely reopen, such as:

  • The proper implementation of social distancing protocols at schools.
  • Access to safe PPE, clean water and proper sanitation.
  • An emergency health plan at all schools in response to positive cases.
  • Clear plans to continue schooling for those teachers or learners who suffer from comorbidities.

The DA is of the view that schools that do not adhere to the above-mentioned regulations, cannot reopen until such time that they are compliant.

No mention has been made on the impact the delayed reopening of schools would have on parents who have structured their holidays to take care of their children, but now might struggle to find someone to look after them they return to work.

The DA would also encourage the DBE to urgently engage with the Department of Social Development regarding the reopening of Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres which are vital to communities in terms of child safety, child development and nutrition.

Finally, the DBE should work closely with the Department of Health to prioritise plans around the vaccination of teachers.

The delay in the reopening of schools is unfortunate and will hamper learners’ education careers rather than help them, and therefore an immediate plan to extend the school day must be considered.

Post Office on the brink of collapse… again

Despite R8 billion in bailouts since 2014, the South African Post Office (SAPO) is once again staring bankruptcy in the face, with reports emerging of unpaid rentals and desperate suppliers, postal backlogs and broken ICT systems.

It comes as no surprise therefore to learn of the resignation of the recently appointed CFO, Ms Khathutshelo Ramukumba, after barely two months on the job, in which time the discovery of the shocking state of financial affairs at the SAPO would make any professional think twice.

It was revealed in a court judgement last year that that the SAPO had lost R1,066 billion as at 31 July 2020, putting it well on track to post double that sum. In the absence of any further funding and expenses far exceeding revenue, the SAPO is resorting to the only means to stay afloat – stop paying creditors.

Suppliers are once again being ‘parked’ in a queue for payment, despite all processes required to effect payment followed, including quotation, purchase order, service delivered and invoice presented. All that’s missing is the money to pay them.

Owners of post office buildings leased by the SAPO are once again not being paid, with reports of rentals outstanding for more than 120 days, even as the SAPO starts selling land and properties – its family silver.

IT systems, including the essential on-line ‘track-and-trace’ service, remain non-functional, so customers have no idea of the status of their parcels or mail – registered or otherwise, while the SAPO’s website is a collection of pretty pictures rather than a useful business tool.

Covid protocols are virtually non-existent, especially during the peak grant payment periods, putting the health and welfare of staff and customers alike at risk. And there are no solutions in sight as executives jump ship and staff morale plummets.

It is abundantly clear this lame-duck SAPO cannot fly. Yet unlike SAA, the post office really is an essential lifeline to the outside world for many people, especially in rural or remote areas, and with the largest footprint in the country to boot.

If the SAPO is to be saved, government needs to stop talking about Public Private Partnerships or social compacts with business and actually start implementing them. For an experienced operator with capital to invest, the SAPO can work; part or complete privatisation is the only alternative to bankruptcy.

The Department of Communications needs a new Minister and the SAPO a new owner. If ever there was a moment to hang the sign “Under New Management”, that time is now.

Minister Ntshaveni should fact check herself before she wrecks herself (and the economy)

The Democratic Alliance (DA) call on the Minister of Small Business Development, Khumbudzo Ntshaveni, who is apparently so focused on the importance of facts, to provide not only the DA, but the entire country, with a detailed and up-to-date report that lays out exactly how relief funds allocated to small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) were spent as well as withheld from those both in dire need and deserving of those monies.

This comes after she disputed the DA’s claims around her department’s dismal allocation of the Covid-19 relief funds for SMMEs. Her attempt to grandstand, rather than address the real issue, failed dismally.

The Minister is not famous for her due diligence when it comes to performing the duties associated with her portfolio. As with any Ministerial portfolio, one such duty, if not the most crucial one, is making sure that one relays the facts to those that pay one’s bloated salary.

In fact, relaying the truth to South Africans is not just some unwritten ethical imperative. It is a constitutional duty as per section 195(g) of the Constitution.
It is here, in the realm of distinguishing between facts and fiction for purposes of abiding by the Constitution, where the Minister fails so dismally that her incompetence beggars belief.

The DA recently pointed out that merely R107 million out of a budget of R1.404 billion allocated towards support to qualifying SMMEs affected by Covid-19 has been spent, a meagre 8%.

Whilst these figures are indeed accurate as per page 19 of the Auditor-General’s report, it is at this point that we as the DA, a party that takes pride in our adherence to the principles of accountability, transparency, and overall good governance, must admit to our initial omission of three things:

  1. Mentioning that these figures were accurate as of 30 September 2020, as per the Auditor-General’s second special report into Covid-19 relief funding, and that any new data produced would inevitably differ due to the time that has since elapsed.
  2. That the abovementioned R1.404 billion excludes a further R360 million allocation to SMMEs that are funded by the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition through the manufacturing competitiveness enhancement programme, along with savings and reprioritisation across the small business portfolio. Of the latter amount, R202 million has been spent.
  3. Of the total amount of R1.764 billion (R1.404 billion plus R360 million), R308.7 million has been spent in support of SMMEs, equaling 17.5%. Whilst this value is admittedly 9.5 percentage points higher than the 8% reported on page 19 of the AG’s report, this is due to the larger proportional disbursement of funds ring-fenced as part of the R360 million, which has the effect of increasing the weighted average of funds spent. Of the R1.404 billion allocation, 92% still remained unspent as of 30 September 2020, however, with total unspent funds thus at 82.5% after including the smaller supplementary allocation.

However, none of this mitigates the Minister’s gross dereliction of duty. What is most discombobulating is Minister Ntshavedi’s reliance on outdated data from 22 May 2020, as per her own Department’s outdated website: dsbd.gov.za.

In her response to the DA’s initial press statement along with the letter written to her office to ask that she accounts to the portfolio committee for her omission to execute her duties, the Minister, in a bout of ironic confidence, made the claim that the Department of Small Business Development had only managed to reprioritise R500 million for SMME Debt Relief (she later contradicts herself by stating that it was, in fact, R513 million, as per the aforementioned outdated website).

Yet, the DA never claimed that R1.4 billion was reprioritised for debt relief funding. Instead, the DA merely cited the AG’s figure of R1.404 billion that was allocated towards support to qualifying small, medium and micro enterprises affected by Covid-19, as per page 21 of the second special report, notwithstanding a further allocation of R360 million.

Luckily, on page 222 of the AG’s report, a condensed breakdown of the debt relief finance scheme is given. As of the end of September of last year, the scheme had a budget of R484 billion, not R513 million, with R290.7 million having been disbursed.

At this point it has to be asked: will the Minister order her own department’s website to be updated for the first time in almost 8 months so that it reflects the figures of the Auditor-General, or is the Minister in disagreement with the Auditor-General’s findings even though she lays claim to her support in her retaliatory press statement?

Even after our own adjustments of the figures to include the smaller allocation, the facts still do not bode well for the Minister, with 82.5% of funds not having been spent as of September 2020. What makes this all the more worrying is that a recent study by FinFind showed that 42.7% of small business having shut their doors during the first 5 months of the initial lockdown, with 60% of full-time jobs lost, 76.8% of part-time jobs lost, 54.4% of casual jobs lost, and 41.4% of consultant jobs lost. These figures pertaining to job losses also serve to render the Minister’s claim to having saved many jobs as misguided at best and downright arrogant at worse.

Government lockdown powers must be curbed in 2021

The Democratic Alliances (DA) takes note of the criticism levelled by Human Rights Watch against the South African government and its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The DA believes that the findings underscore our own view that the power of government to impose and prolong states of national disaster, on full display in 2020, has to be curtailed in 2021.

In a report released on Wednesday and covered in Business Day, Human Rights Watch pointed to the government’s mistreatment of vulnerable groups, the prolonged closures of schools and the interruption to the National School Nutrition Programme during the lockdown.

To the list of lockdown-related human rights abuses the DA would add the use of excessive force, including the killing of Collins Khoza, and irrational restrictions on business and work that made it difficult for people to put food on the table.

Post-Covid the ANC will be remembered for three things: one of the world’s longest and hardest lockdowns, the theft of disaster relief funds, and the failure to focus public resources on gaining early and widespread access to a vaccine.

But the risks of SA being governed under a perpetual state of national disaster, with little parliamentary oversight and no parliamentary veto, go beyond the Covid-19 pandemic.

The health and wellbeing of ordinary South Africans should never again be made to depend on the whims and mercies of a corrupt and incompetent governing party.

This is why the DA is challenging the constitutionality of section 27 of the Disaster Management Act in court, but this issue should also be brought to the floor of Parliament.

Depending on the timelines and the outcome of the court case, the DA will this year prepare draft legislation to amend the Disaster Management Act to bring a future lockdown under parliamentary control.

DA calls for urgent Parliament Basic Education Committee meeting on reopening of schools with Health Experts

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has taken note of Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga’s briefing taking place tomorrow in light of swirling rumors and reports suggesting that the government may consider pushing back the reopening of schools.

While we are pleased by the Minister’s imminent address, the DA calls for an urgent meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education to be briefed by relevant health experts and the Departments of Basic Education and Health on the best way to safely reopen schools for both teachers and learners; what the recommendations of the Ministerial Advisory Committee are regarding schools; the consequences of school closures on the learners; and the effect on their future education.  In addition, we need to know the facts regarding the effect of Covid-19 on teachers as opposed to other professions, and what measures are being put in place to ensure that teachers are vaccinated as soon as possible.

Parents and schools need certainty that any decision on schools reopening will be based on empirical evidence – not based on the whims of government.

The prioritization of the health and safety of learners and teachers cannot be undermined, however, the DA does not believe that pushing back the reopening of schools would be wise.

In fact, we believe that such a decision will only do more harm than good.

Every day that children are out of school exacerbates the education crisis in a country already far below international best practice and standards. It further creates inequalities as those who have access to online learning opportunities, whether schools are open or not, will continue to learn, whilst the poor and vulnerable sit at home.

Pushing out the start of the academic year can also have adverse consequences on learners, especially on their psychological and academic development.

Many learners are still coming to terms with the disruptions to the 2020 academic year, particularly as it relates to their physical safety, access to school feeding schemes, and the pressures of distance/hybrid learning where online resources are lacking.

Instead of possibly delaying the reopening of schools, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) should have used this period to ensure that all schools have proper Covid-resources and regulations in place to welcome back teachers and learners. These include:

  • The proper implementation of social distancing protocols at schools.
  • Access to safe PPE, clean water and proper sanitation.
  • An emergency health plan at all schools in response to positive cases.
  • Clear plans to continue schooling for those teachers or learners who suffer from comorbidities.

The DA is of the view that schools that do not adhere to the above-mentioned regulations, cannot reopen until such time that they are compliant.

In addition to this, not all provinces are equally affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, and instead of delaying the reopening of all schools, the DBE should consider a differentiated approach, where Provincial Education Departments should decide, in consultation with their Provincial Health Departments, whether schools need to close or not for a period of time. This will prevent a nationwide shutdown of schools when there is a peak in cases, in individual provinces.

In the meantime, the government must also work on its plans around the vaccination of teachers, as announced by the President earlier this week.

It is for this reason that the DA has called for an urgent meeting between the experts, the Ministerial Advisory Committee, and the Departments of Education and Health in order to get clarity on the above-mentioned concerns.

Load shedding: DA concerned over hospitals and vaccine storage

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has serious concerns about the consequences of the recent series of rolling blackouts announced by Eskom late this morning. In particular, we fear the impact that these blackouts could have on hospitals where people are fighting for their lives on ventilators as well as the repercussions it could have on the administration and the storage of vaccines when they arrive on our shores.

We call on the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, to give absolute certainty that medical facilities and vaccine storage facilities will be protected against Eskom and his governance incompetence.

It has been 15 years since South Africa first encountered Eskom’s load shedding in 2006, and we have again been dealt this blow by the beleaguered power utility, this time in the middle of South Africa’s deadly Covid-19 second wave.

The Coronavirus pandemic that has had devastating consequences on our health system, and loadshedding will just add to this burden. Just like with the Covid-19 virus, South Africans are now clearly in a double fight for their lives and livelihoods.

Loadshedding will further acutely affect our already limping economy. Businesses which barely survived the devastating effects of the ANC hard economic lockdown, now face the very real possibility of completely shutting down the longer these blackouts continue.

With the extended level 3 lockdown, some companies have opted for their employees to work remotely. How can the government expect anyone – from entire industries to small businesses – to continue to be productive without a stable electricity supply? How can the government expect an economy reeling from its history of poor leadership and strangling lockdown regulations to thrive?

Adding to frustrations, government has instituted a curfew and restricted most outdoor activities. Due to loadshedding, activities at home – where we are now confined – are also being limited.

On 2 September 2015, Cyril Ramaphosa promised: “In another 18 months to two years, you will forget the challenges that we had with relation to power and energy and Eskom ever happened”.

Today, after announcing yet another series of rolling blackouts, it is still much the same. We need government to take the energy crisis at Eskom seriously and the latest rounds of loadshedding, together with its 15 year history, is indicative that the ANC is twiddling its thumbs.

Was National Treasury the real culprit in vaccine delay?

The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni, to confirm or deny comments by Deputy Director General of Health, Anban Pillay, suggesting that the National Treasury was the primary culprit in delaying vaccine acquisition.

Pillay’s interview with Financial Mail, and other sources, suggest that Treasury was not convinced that vaccines were necessary, that spending on vaccines would “waste money”, and that the “big challenge” was “risk aversion in the Treasury”.

The government has failed to prepare properly for a national vaccine rollout. For months during late 2020, while other developing countries were securing vaccine orders, our government was seemingly sitting on its hands. This failure will undoubtedly cost lives.

The real culprits for the delay should be held accountable. At the moment there is a lot of blame shifting in government, and these comments by the Deputy Director General provide an opportunity for Mboweni to set out all of the facts.

The total estimated cost of the vaccine programme is R8.6 billion, still a billion rand less than the recent SAA bailout. The urgency with which SAA was bailed out stands in stark contrast to the dithering on the vaccine acquisition, and says much about the government’s priorities. In any case, the Treasury’s “risk aversion” was misguided, as the risks of over-spending on the vaccine pales in comparison to the public health risk of not procuring vaccines.

There should not have been a moment’s hesitation by the National Treasury in agreeing to fund a comprehensive vaccine rollout. A DA government would have planned properly and early, and would not have dithered in securing the funding to pay for the vaccine programme. A DA government would not have left the country with an empty Treasury, wasting precious resources on failing state companies, leaving nothing for genuine emergencies.

DA calls for a transparent reopening of Sport, Arts and Culture Relief Fund

Please find attached a soundbite by Tsepo Mhlongo MP

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling upon the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, to extend the Covid-19 Relief Fund for Arts and Sports, in light of the extension of the adjusted level 3 lockdown announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa, earlier this week.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on the sports and arts fraternities, not only in South Africa but the world over. While some believe that lockdowns provide a solution to the health problem, the reality is that they have brought major economic hardship, destroyed businesses, and livelihoods.

Men and women in the sports and arts sectors have lost their incomes due to prolonged periods without tournaments and gigs.

The best intervention the Minister can make is to extend the relief funding scheme to assist athletes, as well as artists who as a result of the restrictions imposed by the lockdown are left without an income.

We reiterate the importance of fairness and transparency in this process so that the money meant for relief will find its way to the intended qualifying beneficiaries. Last year, during the first and second phase of the rollout of funds, the DA received complaints from troubled athletes and artists about the red tape that made it difficult for them to access funds. We hope the department has been able to address these issues.

The Minister and the Department need to ensure that the rollout is a transparent and independent process that is fair and can assist all qualifying artists and athletes.

Furthermore, the DA calls on the Minister to give a detailed account of how the relief funds have been administered from April 2020 to date. He must provide a statement with a comprehensive breakdown of how the funds were disbursed.

Minister Mthethwa must act now so that we can save families from plunging into poverty.

Expired licenses and unpaid fines clip Hawks’ wings

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the National Police Commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, regarding reports of the Hawks’ fleet being grounded as a result of expired license discs due to unpaid fines.

Members of the Hawks in Gauteng have been prevented from conducting investigations due to the license disks on their official vehicles not being renewed because of unpaid fines, some of which date back to 2015.

Critical investigations into, amongst others, fraud and corruption are delayed due to this vital resource restraint and many officers have had to resort to funding their own investigations these past months. This situation is unacceptable and must be solved as a matter of urgency.

General Sitole must intervene immediately and present a report to Parliament’s portfolio committee on police. The Hawks must be enabled to make full use of their resources as soon as possible so that the fight against corruption and other priority crimes continues without delay.

Crime is already spiraling out of control and rising every day as people become more desperate to survive the economic devastation of the continued Covid-19 lockdown and hardened criminals seek to exploit every loophole offered to them.

The Hawks deal with serious priority crimes but are not treated as a priority by an uncaring ANC government.

DA calls on Motsoaledi to open online applications for IDs and passports to avoid future chaos at Home Affairs

The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, to open online applications with immediate effect following an announcement that his department has temporarily suspended certain critical services, including applications for smart identity documents (IDs), passports, marriage registration and solemnization of marriages.

The opening of online services will, at the very least, ensure that services are not completely halted, and will also prevent the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) from having an influx of applications when these services are reopened for frontline processing.

Though we acknowledge that preventative measures have to be put in place to protect citizens and DHA staffers from contracting Covid-19, and that Home Affairs officials are currently buckling under pressure due to the high number of death certificates which it has had to issue – we strongly believe the suspension of critical Home Affairs services at this time will leave many South Africans in limbo.

The DA believes the move to suspend some services will result in unintended consequences. Particularly for those who need to apply for social grants who will not be able to do so without a valid IDs, in addition, people will be unable to access their Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) money, and many financial institutions do not assist those without a valid IDs to open an account or take out loans.

It is argued that the Coronavirus will be with us for some time, therefore, the suspension of critical Home Affairs services by Minister Motsoaledi will cause a huge backlog that the department will find hard to recover from, especially in light of its “well-known” inability to render services at an optimum level even when it’s offices are fully open.

No department is exempt from the wrath of the Covid-19 pandemic, however, merely kicking the can down the road with no workable solutions is not feasible. We cannot simply suspend services when Covid-19 numbers go up or lockdown levels are extended. The Minister should instead prioritise stricter, enforceable measures to protect both the staff and the public, and implement creative solutions to prevent backlogs.

Minister Motsoaledi failed to put proper contingency plans in place to ensure the continued functioning of his department. This failure could be costly if online services are not opened.