Limpopo education MEC Dickson Masemola must be removed following the announcement of the Annual National Assessment results, the DA said on Tuesday.
“We strongly believe that the textbook debacle had an awful impact on the assessment of our learners,” Democratic Alliance MP Jacques Smalle said in a statement on Tuesday.
The conditions of schools were becoming untenable under Masemola, he said.
Grade Nine pupils in Limpopo scored one of the worst results, with an average of 8.5 percent in maths.
On Monday, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said provincial marks in mathematics ranged between nine percent and 17 percent.
Limpopo education marred by the non-delivery of textbooks this year, with the department missing numerous delivery deadlines.
In July, there were calls for Masemola's resignation following the textbook saga.
A report by University of the Witwatersrand education professor Mary Metcalfe found that not all Limpopo schools had received books by a June 27 deadline, even though the department claimed 98 percent of learning material had been delivered.
Human rights group, Section27, took the department to court to force it to deliver textbooks.
Limpopo's former education administrator Anis Karodia reportedly blamed Masemola for contributing to the department's unauthorised expenditure of R2.2 billion.
As a result, it had failed to provide textbooks to pupils seven months into the school year, he said.
Karodia accused Masemola of “subtle interference” in the awarding of contracts.
Masemola denied any wrongdoing and said Karodia's report was “pure lies”. - Sapa