Dying diggers of Namaqualand need saving
| by Delmaine Christians MP – DA Member of the NCOP Select Committee on Education |
| Date: 21 July 2020 |
| Release: Immediate |
| Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English & Afrikaans from Delmaine Christians, MP. Since a fish rots from the head down, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is cautiously optimistic about recent adverts seeking a new head for the provincial Department of Education.We urge premier Zamani Saul to use the appointment process as an opportunity to improve education and to eradicate corruption. The Public Service Act tasks premiers with the appointment of heads for provincial departments. We urge premier Saul to exercise his appointment powers in a way that brings skill and stability to the administration of the Northern Cape Department of Education.The sector needs honest and hard-working officials at the helm to survive storms created by years of mismanagement, which became the norm in the current HOD’s tenure.Consecutive reports from the Auditor-General shows that the current HOD’s contract coincides with a period of consistently poor financial performance by the department. Proof includes the recent regression in 2018/19 to a qualified audit, shortfalls in the budget for salaries, and continued mismanagement of conditional grants. Mismanagement has made delays in completion such a regular occurrence that, for the past three financial years, approximately 25% of the departmental infrastructure budget is spent on old projects which should already have been completed and new projects are delayed. Irresponsible spending has culminated in a bank overdraft of R272 million for the 2018/19 year as well as skyrocketing debts and excessive amounts of irregular expenditure, which cannot be offset in the current era of budget cuts and baseline reductions.Although poor financial performance compromises the quality of services, audit reports highlights that senior management seems content and simply do nothing to prevent the recurrence of avoidable fiscal threats.But if we want to steer the provincial education sector to the safe harbor of improved outcomes, we need officials who will ensure that public resources are used to the benefit of the public.We are not seeing an appropriate return on the massive investment of financial resources and human skills in the sector, as we can see from our performance in the 2019 National Senior Certificate examinations. The Northern Cape had a provincial pass rate lower than the national average and neighboring provinces facing similar socio-economic difficulties managed to outperform us, such as the Free State with a pass rate of 88% and the North West with a pass rate of 86%. We can also see from the steady improvements made in KwaZulu-Natal, which ranked below us in 2015 and outperformed us in 2019, that there is no strategic vision for long-term improvements in the provincial education sector.Since the forecast for the sector is grim, we need competent hands on the wheel. If the premier fails to appoint someone with credibility and capability, our educational system will be run aground. |
Related posts