PANYAZA LESUFI: MAN WITH A VISION

DURING his five years as the Gauteng MEC of education, Panyaza Lesufi has worked closely with his team, peers, opposition parties and educational organisations.

Although they may not have shared all Lesufi’s visions or agreed with his ideas, many agree he was determined to create a school environment where children from all walks of life could thrive.

This includes DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education Khume Ramulifho, who described Lesufi as a hard worker who was approachable and responsive.

“We had a great relationship where we respected each other, worked well (together) and he replied promptly to my questions.”

Ramulifho added that Lesufi attended more than 80% of committee meetings, accounted to the provincial legislature, accepted criticism and was open to new ideas.

These sentiments were echoed by

Lesufi’s desire to pursue a career in public office was somewhat inspired by the former firebrand leader of the ANC, Harry Gwala, whom he met during his university years. the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools Gauteng provincial manager Dr Jean Van Rooyen who said Lesufi was actively involved in the daily functioning of the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE).

Some of Lesufi’s biggest achievements during his tenure was that under his leadership, Gauteng was consistently a top achiever in the National Senior Certificate Examinations.

“In 2018, the GDE was the top achiever and of the top 18 performing districts in the country. All 15 the districts in Gauteng were included in this group.”

However, Van Rooyen believed there was still a long way to go before many of the challenges Gauteng’s schools faced were addressed adequately.

Meanwhile, Equal Education (EE) said Lesufi “demonstrated a greater willingness, than some education MECS in South Africa, to engage civil society more broadly.

“EE has seen improvements around certain aspects of education during MEC Lesufi’s tenure, namely, the upgrading of school sanitation facilities and

“When I went to the University of Natal, he was one person who believed in me. I was just a student expressing my views, and he told me that he liked my composure and that said he addressing unequal access to schools for poor and working class learners, through the expansion of feeder zones.”

But the community and membershipbased movement said while the GDE had made some inroads towards addressing sanitation challenges in Gauteng, very serious problems remained.

“Gauteng continues to be home to schools made of asbestos, where learners and staff are exposed to its harmful effects.”

Van Rooyen said the new MEC that will be appointed should continue working closely with governance structures at grassroots level.

Ramulifho said the new administration should re-open closed schools in townships, prioritise teacher development and introduce incentives to attract qualified teachers in townships.

EE said the new MEC should focus on literacy levels.

“The MEC must guarantee that learners in the province are able to read for meaning, by addressing the early grade reading crisis.” thought I could be a leader.”

Since Gwala uttered those words to Lesufi, he attempted to live his life in a way that would have made the late leader proud. “I tried not to chase women and not to drink alcohol and smoke. I really don’t want to disappoint this old man who thought so much of me.”

Lesufi’s humble upbringing also saw him determined to help all those with whom he came in contact. “My mother was a domestic worker and my father was a gardener. They just appreciated me, even when I couldn’t believe in myself, and I credit my character to them.”

Lesufi was a student activist during the apartheid era and witnessed racism on such a personal level that it made him determined to eradicate it from the country’s schools. “I hate racism with a passion,” he says.

As education MEC, he prided himself in doing all he could to create a learning environment where children of all races could excel.

While racism is still rife in many schools across the country, he believes deracialising the education system is achievable.

“Our education system is manmade to be the way it is, and it will also take a man to break down these barriers.”

His fight for equality has often been met with harsh criticism, but Lesufi won’t let that deter him.

He says it’s the advice of his mother that carried him through some of the toughest days of his career.“my mother said to me: ‘I have never seen a grave of someone who was insulted and then he died.’”