Minister for Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga,
MEC for Education, Mr Mandla Makhuphula,
Chief of Mvezo, Mr Zwelivelile Mandela,
Members of the School Governing Body,
Schools management team,
Government officials,
Ladies and gentlemen.
Phambi kokuba ndiqale lentetho yam imfutshane, mandithathe elithuba ndigqithise umyalezo wovelwano kusapho lwakwa Mbuli ngokushiywa kwalo nguMnumzana Vuyo Mbuli. Kubuhlungu kuthi sonke ngokushiywa kwethu ngulonondaba ophume izandla. Kaloku lokaMbuli waqala ukuxelenga nje ngoTishala, nalapho wabanegalelo ekuxhonxeni uninzi lwabafundi kwelilizwe. Kusapho nezalamane sithi akuhlanga lungehlanga, thuthuzelekani.
Kuluchulumanco ukuma phambi kwenu namhlanje ndibelingqina kulomsitho wokutshintsha imbali yesisikolo.
The joy I have is mainly due to the fact that here in Bityi Village we are seeing yet another fruition of government’s efforts of reversing the imbalances of the past especially on the Education front. These imbalances and scars of the past are very glaring in our Province, particularly in this part of the province (former Transkei) and are characterised mainly by mud structured schools, most of which were built by parents.
As we official open this school I must further state that; the fact that you have nothing does not mean you are nothing and does not mean you deserve nothing.
That is why as government we took a decision to bring quality services and resources to where our people are. It must be noted that by bringing these buildings in the form of schools, clinics and hospitals, we are not decorating the villages nor do we invite hooligans and criminals to vandalise them. Therefore, you the community, the owners of this asset must jealously guard it.
Government has since 1994 invested billions of rands to bring the school infrastructure in this part of the province to acceptable levels. We have done this and continue in this trend mindful of the fact that conditions, under which teaching takes place, play an important role in creating job satisfaction for teachers and bringing out desired results for learners.
Our educators should have eagerness and passion to wake up every morning to attend school and teach our children. Our children should look forward every day to spending the majority of their time in school to develop their knowledge. One of the ways we can motivate them to do that efficiently and wholeheartedly is by providing proper school infrastructure with requisite Learner Teacher Support Material, especially for Mathematics and Science subjects.
Therefore the construction of this school forms part of government’s multi million rand ASIDI rollout programs and will improve the morale of both educators and learners. More than anything, through the ASIDI programme will change the face of rural schools by providing them with a wholesale of services including sanitation, electricity and access to clean water.
Kuleminyaka iyi 19 sisezintanjeni senze umsebenzi omkhulu ukubuyisa isidima sabantwana noTishala ngokuthi sakhe izindlu zangasese kwintlaninge yezikolo zethu. Siza kuqhubekeka ngalomsebenzi kwezinye izikolo kuba isidima somntu oNtsudu kufuneka sibuyiselwe kwinqabana elililo.
Ngaphandle kwemiceli mgeni ezijongene nayo izikolo zasezilalini, inxalenye yabafundi abaphuma kuzo bayaqhubekeka bephumelela emagqabini. Abavumi nakancinci ukuvumela imeko abakhula phantsi kwazo ukuba zibengumqobo kumaphupha abo ekamva eliqaqambileyo. Ndifuna abafundi balapha eNobantu balandele kwelikhondo nabo benze abazali babo neliphondo leMpuma Koloni sizingce ngabo.
Minister, not so long ago we celebrated the achievements of outstanding learners from this part of our province that excelled in the matric exams of 2012. They include Namagcaleka Singata from St James Senior Secondary School in Cofimvaba who is currently studying Medicine at UCT in Cape Town and Simamkele Gcora from Ntsokotha Senior Secondary School who is currently studying Actuarial Science in UCT.
Ngokuthi siqinise lankqubo yethu kuthiwa yi Learner Attainment Improvement Strategy sizokwazi ukuvelisa abanye abafundi abaphume izandla, nabazobuya bazokusebenza kweliphondo lethu.
Indikhathaza kakhulu into yokubona inzalelwane zeliphondo ezifundileyo zibiwa ngamanye amaphondo. Kodwa ke izakufikelela esiphelweni yonke lonto, kuba urhulumente nenkampani eziphantsi kwakhe zithe gqolo zityala imali ngamandla kweliphondo. Lonto izokudala intlaninge yamathuba emisebenzi, ingakumbi eyabantu abanezakhono.
The only way people can get skills is through training and such training starts here in school.
Singurhulumente sizokuthi gqolo sisenza owethu umsebenzi wokuxhasa izikolo, sifaka ingcebiso nezixhobo zokufundisa. Silindele ukuba umtwana abe phakathi komzali notishala. OoTishala benze owabo umsebenzi, lowo wokuba seklasini, ngexesha, befundisa.
Kukho amazwi endiwathandayo ayetshiwo lixhengwazana kwenye yencwadi zesiXhosa zakwaso Mgxada. Mazwi lawo athi: “Ndinga fundaga njemna, ndiya kubafundisa rhoqo abam abantwana.”
Ndicaphula lentetho yalo Mama kuba ndifuna ukubethelela into ethi uTishala wokuqala womntwana ngumzali.
Abazali mabenze owabo umsebenzi lowo woku qinisekisa ukuba abantwana basesikolweni. Umthetho obhaliweyo we SA Schools Act ocatshulwe kuMgaqo Siseko weLilizwe uyayigxininisa into yokuba abantwana bagazibhaqi bezinkendama esikolweni abazali babo besaphila. Silindele ukuba abafundi benze owabo, lowo wokubaseklasini, ngexesha, besenza umsebenzi wesikolo, yaye bahloniphe noTishala babo. Ayonto inokusixabanisa noko leyo andithi?
Ukuba kukho izinto emasizihlalele noTishala masisebenzise amaqonga asekelwe lonto, ukuzisombulula. Kuninzi esinokuphumeza xa sinokukhe sibenonyaka ongenamakhwiniba kwezeMfundo.
The 53rd ANC Conference held in Magaung last year discussed this matter and noted that: “The Disruption of schooling through industrial action and service delivery protests impact negatively on the stability of schools and the quality of education. It further said there must be closer engagement between government and trade unions stakeholders to resolve disagreements on class sizes, distribution of educators and redeployment of educators.”
Kuninzi esikwenzileyo ukuqubisana nalemiceli mgeni, kwaye akho sidingo sokuba abantu, ingakumbi oTishala neSGBs ukuba bavale izokolo, baqweqwendise urhulumente.
I was perplexed to see parents in some of our districts instigating learners to take part in violent protests over these matters and that is the sight we do not want to see again in our province.
Xa ndivala Minister, mandibongoze lonke uluntu ukuba sibengathi siyaqiniseka ukulwa umkhuba wokubulawa kwamaxhekwazana nabantwana. Lento ithande ukuxhaphaka apha ezilalini. Ubungozi balento kukuba ezizikolo zifana nesi sisivulayo ziyokuhlala zingenabafundi xa kubulawa lamaxhekwazi. Onyana neentombi bayakubathatha abazukulwana bahlale nabo ezidolophini, ntoleyo yenza amanani aphantsi kwezizikolo.
Ngalomazwi ndithi mandikwamkele Minister KweliPhondo leMpuma Koloni. Ndiyazi ukuba eliphondo likufuphi kwintliziyo yakho, njengoko wakhe wachitha iminyaka ungumfundi apha. Sijonge lukhulu ukuba uphinde uphose esivivaneni xa kusakhiwa ezinye izikolo kwixa elizayo.
Enkosi!
