By Bronagh Hammond
Every few weeks, a piece is published in the Argus by a dismissed former employee of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), Mr Brian Isaacs, called “Education Matters”.
The contents frequently focus on berating the WCED or personally attacking the provincial minister or head of department.
The articles also contain many inaccuracies, and false information.
However, the article dated October 7, 2020, cannot be allowed to stand without being corrected.
In this article, Isaacs made the statement that the Labour Court granted Mr Wesley Neumann, a principal subject to an internal departmental disciplinary process, an interdict against the WCED preventing the department from proceeding with the disciplinary process. The WCED immediately corrected this false claim.
What happened is that Mr Neumann waited until the last minute to file his application. Because the WCED did not have sufficient time to file answering papers, the matter was postponed by agreement between the parties for the purpose of opposing it.
Despite this, Mr Isaacs proceeded to go on radio claiming a “victory” for Mr Neumann. He then went on to write: “The Labour Court granted an interdict in favour of Mr Neumann against the WCED.”
This is not true.
We encourage the Argus to take some responsibility for the factual correctness of information published.
Nonetheless, the WCED will let the relevant legal processes resume and the courts will decide on the merits of the matter.
* Bronagh Hammond, Director: Communication Western Cape Education Department.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
Cape Argus
Do you have something on your mind; or want to comment on the big stories of the day? We would love to hear from you. Please send your letters to [email protected].
All letters to be considered for publication, must contain full names, addresses and contact details (not for publication).