Minister Angie Motshekga: 2020 Basic Education Lekgotla

Remarks and President’s Introduction by the Minister of Basic Education, Mrs. Angie Motshekga, MP, at the 2020 Basic Education Lekgotla held at Emperors Palace, Gauteng

Programme Director,
President of the Republic, His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa
Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr. Makgabo Reginah Mhaule,
MECs for Education from all our nine provinces,
Leaders of teacher unions and school governing bodies,
Representatives of learner organisations,
Academics and experts in the education sector,
Representatives of non-governmental organisations,
Members of the media,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I am privileged to welcome the President of the Republic, Ntate Cyril Ramaphosa. Thank you for agreeing to address this gathering.

Mr. President, we converge here to dialogue on the best policy trajectory to take basic education to the next frontier of progress and excellence.

We have assembled a high powered team of basic education managers from all over the country, MECs, local and international experts to address us on various matters that form part of our sector priorities.

We also have an array of our local and international partners from civil society and think tanks. Our teacher unions and SGBs are always part of our planning and implementation.

Thank you to all delegates and speakers for gracing our 2020 Basic Education Lekgotla. We appreciate all of you being here.

Amongst the objectives of this Lekgotla is take stock of the progress we have made and steps taken to accelerate the achievement of the SGD4 and the National Development Plan (NDP) goals and objectives.

We will reemphasise the importance of focussing on quality and efficiency of learning outcomes utilising assessment data to craft new strategies.

We will also ventilate on the progress made and measures taken to ensure that our learners are equipped with knowledge and skills for a changing world.

You will be pleased Mr. President that we are paying special focus on Entrepreneurship Education. We have an array of specialists and practitioners to dialogue on this important item.

Interestingly for me we will delve into techniques to promote neuroscience education in the teaching and learning of foundational skills.

Dr M. De Jager will address us on techniques to stimulate the whole-brain function.

Dr. D. Ansari will unpack the use of Neuroscience Education and its implications for teaching of the foundational skills.

Dr G. Borst will take us through Neuroscience and reading.

Dr D. Szucs will focus on Neuroscience and numeracy

We intend to garner inputs to strengthen the draft framework for the implementation of the decision on the function shift of Early Childhood Development from the Social Development to us.

For our part in the Khawuleza phase of service delivery  this Lekgotla will unlock value in the education technology, dialogue on the promotion of the status of teachers, build Business Intelligence for Education, and finally agree on an ideal Education Leader.

For us to succeed we need to build a new cadre of education leaders that are courageous and decisive while appreciating the value of consequence management.

Mr. President, people want us to Khawuleza to solve their real problems in real time.

Introduction of the President of the Republic Hon. Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa

Programme Director; allow me to formally introduce our guest of honour, the President of the Republic, Ntate Cyril Ramaphosa.

President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa was born on 17 November 1952 in Johannesburg.

President Ramaphosa holds a law degree from the University of South Africa. He has received several honorary doctorates from local and international universities. He received the Olof Palme prize in Stockholm in 1987.

Political involvement

The President was detained in 1974 for organising pro-Frelimo rallies that were held to celebrate the independence of Mozambique.

He was detained for the second time in 1976 following the Soweto Student Uprising.

He became the first general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers in 1982.

In 1991, he was elected African National Congress (ANC) Secretary General and subsequently became head of the ANC team that negotiated the transition to democracy.

Following the country’s first democratic elections in 1994, he was elected chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly, which wrote South Africa's new democratic constitution.

He moved into the private sector in 1996, and in 2001 founded Shanduka Group, a diversified investment holding company.

He resigned from Shanduka in 2012 following his appointment as Deputy President of South Africa.

In December 2012, he was elected Deputy President of the governing party, the African National Congress (ANC).

In December 2017, he was elected as the President at the ANC’s 54th Elective Conference.

On the 15th February 2018, he was sworn in as the fifth democratically elected President of the Republic.

After the 2019 May national and provincial elections, he was returned to office and sworn in on the 25 May as the President of the Republic of South Africa.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the son of the soil, the Honourable President of the Republic, Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa.

Mr. President, please address us.

More on

Share this page

Similar categories to explore