Student bodies demand that Makupula resigns

TWO Eastern Cape student organisations yesterday warned that if Education MEC Mandla Makupula did not resign in two weeks, they would take to the streets to demand his removal.

The Congress of South African Students (Cosas) and the SA Students Congress (Sasco) called on the ANC to recall Makupula, saying that under his leadership the province failed to achieve the 70% targeted matric pass rate and had again finished bottom of the class.

At a joint media conference held at the ANC provincial headquarters, Calata House, in King William’s Town, the organisations said under Makupula’s watch the education department had gone backwards.

Backing their call for Makupula’s head, they said through his poor leadership the province’s matric pass rate had regressed from 61.9% in 2012, 64.9% in 2013, 65.5% in 2015, to last year’s 59.3%.

Cosas provincial chairman Evuya Maneli said: “We are going to give the MEC 14 working days to resign and if that does not happen we’re going to make him resign.”

Sasco provincial secretary Lwando Mangqishi said Makupula was old and should be given a package and sent home to stay with his family.

The two organisations said they would write to the ANC, premier Phumulo Masualle and Makupula informing them that they had two weeks to meet their demand.

ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said: “Before they [student organisations] roll out their planned mass action, the two organisations should exhaust internal processes.”

After the matric results were released, Makupula said he would step down if the premier instructed him to.

However, Masualle last week likened Makupula to a soccer striker who could be out of the game for 89 minutes but score the winning goal in the last minute when he announced that the MEC’s job was safe.