Equal Education pickets ahead of Makhura's #SOPA

Published Jul 1, 2019

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Johannesburg - Advocacy group Equal Education on Monday protested against the state of Gauteng schools infrastructure outside the University of Johannesburg campus in Soweto, where Gauteng Premier David Makhura is set to deliver his State of the Province Address.

The protesters, who call themselves "equalisers", want Makhura to prioritise improving education and school infrastructure in his speech. 

Last month, the NGO held a picket outside Department of Basic Education head office in Pretoria, demanding that Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga fix the country's schools. They handed over a memorandum to the department in the form of a "People’s Performance Contract" that stipulated what Motshekga should do in her third term as minister.

"We say enough is enough. Poor working class communities are suffering the pain, indignity and hardship of homelessness and inadequate shelter, including the anger and frustration of unfulfilled election campaign promises by the ANC government," said one of the protesters outside the campus.

Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi enjoys popularity in Gauteng since he took over as MEC in 2014. He is credited with transforming basic education, especially the digitisation of classrooms where smart boards and computers were introduced to create a "paperless" education system. 

Picture: Getrude Makhafola/African News Agency (ANA)

His recent appointment as Finance MEC after the May 8 elections drew a public outcry, forcing Makhura to reverse the decision and return Lesufi to the provincial department of education.

Picture: Getrude Makhafola/African News Agency (ANA)

African News Agency/ANA

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