SCHOOLS’ GUPTA LINK QUERY

THE DA in the North West wants Education and Sports Development MEC Sello Lehari to explain the participation of 77 schools in the province in a competition linked to the Gupta family. The party wants to know how this was allowed without the department head’s approval.

The schools’ involvement in the drawing competition, sponsored by the Gupta-linked JIC Mining Company, came to light when Lehari and head of department Stephinah Semaswe appeared before the Portfolio Committee for Home Affairs’ inquiry into the naturalisation of the family.

“The MEC needs to explain how it came about that the Gupta family infiltrated the North West Department of Education to the extent that even schools have been pulled into their web of corruption,” said Dr Tutu Faleni, the DA’s provincial spokesperson for education.