MEC for Education, Mr Mandla Makhuphula
Chief of Mvezo, Mr Zwelivelile Mandela
CEO of Siemens Africa, Mr Sigi Proebstl
Government Officials
Ladies and gentlemen.
Programme Director; let me without reservation and upfront applaud the management of Siemens for delivering on the promise they made to Tata Madiba in 2010. This noble gesture will without doubt contribute to our government’s efforts of reversing the imbalances of the past especially on the Education front. These imbalances and scars of the past are glaring in this part of the province (former Transkei) and are characterised mainly by mud structured schools.
Government has since 1994 invested billions of rands to bring the school infrastructure in this part of the province to acceptable levels. However the amount of backlogs requires all of us including the private sector to open our purses and work with utmost urgency to change the current situation.
It is not ideal and patriotic to have big business sitting on over R400 billions of rands, claiming not to know where to invest while we have children studying in mud schools without the basic necessities. I could not believe my ears last year when I heard that SA businesses are sitting on R470 billion rands and they don’t know where to invest it. Well, my plea to them is simple, be patriots: 'a giving hand is a blessed hand'. I want to make a special plea especially to businesses that are recipients of billions of rands from government contracts; to heed their social responsibilities, and start giving back to communities, particularly on education as such an investment will yield massive returns for our country in the future.
They should follow in the footsteps of Siemens which is breaking new ground by building this school of science and technology. This school is set to open a new world of opportunities for the children of Mvezo. From this school we are in a few years’ time going to produce Doctors, Astronauts, Microbiologists and Engineers. I must make a plea now and in front of all role players that discipline should be the key requirement to get into this school. As we stand here today we still have lumps in our throats, we are still trying to come to terms with the criminal behaviour of learners from Manzana High School in Engcobo who last week, burnt down to ashes a well-equipped school.
Whatever their reasons, their action boarders on ill-discipline and that is what they should have been taught at home. So the management of this school should ensure that proper screening is done before admitting learners to this school. We do not want to experience what we saw in Engcobo again. Schools are places of moulding learners to become better persons, not to harbour criminals.
Our government is also working hard to improve the quality of Mathematics and Science teaching in the province; the Department of Education is currently in the process of founding a Maths, Science and Technology Academy in Queenstown, aptly named "Sakhingcali". The Academy is meant to continuously upgrade the skills of teachers, to avail to them cutting edge technology that assists them to bring about much needed improvement in the quality and quantity of passes in these important designated learning areas. We invite even more partners to consider joining hands with government in ensuring that this worthy initiative is of the highest quality possible.
I thank you.
