Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has been urged to put in place stringent measures to prevent political parties from ‘politicking’ in schools during school hours.
The call came after a video showing EFF members in Johannesburg allegedly handing out food parcels to learners at La Rochelle Primary School in the south of the city, surfaced.
In the video, a man can be heard telling the children that they had brought them fruit, and to tell their parents that the EFF was at school, that they loved them.
“It’s nice to come to school everyday, this is a nice surprise for La Rochelle kids. It’s for you guys not for me or the teachers, tell your fathers that the EFF loves us and brought us some nice fruits.”
The DA’s Sergio dos Santos who did not take too kindly to the visit, he said that this type of political messaging within schools, and in particular during school hours, was unacceptable as it undermined the primary purpose of educational institutions.
“While the DA acknowledges and commends any organisation contributing to the welfare of the learners through the provision of food packs, we firmly reject the exploitation of such initiatives for political campaigning during school hours.
“Education institutions should be dedicated to the essential task of learning and teaching, without being politicised,” commented the shadow Education spokesperson.
Dos Santos called on all political parties to recognise that schools were places to learn and refrain from engaging in political activities on school premises.
He added that learners should be provided with an environment conducive to learning, free from any form of political influence.
Attempts to contact the regional EFF in Johannesburg were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
The Star