Cape Town - The ANC in the Western Cape has called for Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schäfer to step down following remarks she made following the stabbing of Bishop Lavis School of Skills principal Wayne Abrahams last week.
In an interview Schäfer said the principal was brutally attacked by two assailants and one of the attackers was out on parole. However she backtracked when her statements were denied by police.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk had previously said: "The investigation into this case is still ongoing. The office doesn't have any information about the suspect as his face was concealed."
Van Wyk said the police believed there was only one attacker, not two.
Abrahams had received threats in a bid to prevent him from instituting disciplinary proceedings against a pupil who had allegedly shot another in the leg in March.
"Shäfer has divulged information that one of the suspects was out on parole. She did not reveal her source and the police could not verify if indeed it is true," read the statement by the ANC in the Western Cape.
ANC Western Cape education spokesperson Theo Olivier said: "Premier Helen Zille’s education MEC is uncontrolled and clearly does not know what is going on in her department.
"This happens too often. She is always uninformed about the real problems facing her department like schools falling apart, overcrowded classes, closing of schools, the large numbers of unplaced learners and learners not in class late into the academic year.
“This MEC also does not care about the future of children in the closed down Uitsig school in Elsies River, schools without learner material, poor maintenance of schools and as a cabinet member supported the sale of the former Tafelberg school site instead of utilising it to transform old apartheid spatial lines by providing affordable housing to workers of Sea Point.
“She and Zille do not give a hoot for the continued inequality and inferior education in poor areas like townships. Shäfer is elitist and not fit for purpose to serve in such an important public office. She should without delay make way for somebody that understands and cares for vulnerable children of poor people. If she does not resign, she must be fired or recalled by her party.”
The MEC scoffed at the comments and said that this was clearly electioneering by the ANC.
"I am very well informed about what is going on in my Department," Schäfer said.
"I cannot know everything that happens every day in each of our approximately 1 450 schools, however. My main concern is that we do not get sufficient funding from National Government for the number of learners we have, whilst corruption continues unabated under the ANC, and which has a direct impact on service delivery. This is what is causing our overcrowded classrooms.
"I am not sure what he is referring to by 'closure of schools'. The ANC is looking to close thousands of schools across the country. It is also part of the national (ANC) policy to close schools where necessary.
"The Premier has responded to the Tafelberg site issue.
"I have on countless occasions provided evidence of the improved quality of education in our poorest schools, and the ANC continuing to state what is not true will not make it so. I am the one trying to get the private sector to assist where possible – the ANC and their cronies such as COSATU, are opposing it. That shows who really cares about the poor.
"The fact that so many people are coming to the Western Cape for better educational opportunities shows how well we are doing here."