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MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, should apologise for his racially charged rant in the Gauteng Legislature when he accused “white developers" of holding up the occupation of a school. This was nothing more than a distraction to hide the Gauteng government’s disorder.

With much fanfare, the Nokhuthula School for special needs education which was built at a cost of R250 million, was opened in last October.

This opening was attending by Premier David Makhura as well as the MECs for Education and Infrastructure Development.

To date, the school has been unoccupied, ostensibly as a result of an occupation certificate that has not been provided by the City of Johannesburg.

With feigned and exaggerated anger, the MEC said he would meet the City of Johannesburg in court if the occupancy issue was not resolved.

The Department of Infrastructure Development, which was responsible for overseeing the building of the school, has now come clean and admitted that they, and not the City of Johannesburg, were responsible for the delay in occupation of the school.

This same administration has also not granted the Gauteng Provincial Legislature an occupancy certificate. This essentially means that the legislature building is being illegally occupied.

When called upon by the DA to apologise for making unsubstantiated allegations against Johannesburg, the MEC for Infrastructure Development as well as members of the committee arrogantly refused to do so.

The DA believes that every child has the right to education and that this should be done in an environment that is conducive to learning and teaching.

A change of government via the ballot box in 2019 is the only thing that can save Gauteng from the continued abuse that it is subject to.

Issued by DA