Top team checks on administrators

BASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga sent a team of 10 officials to the Eastern Cape on Monday to assess whether her decision to put the provincial department partly under administration two years ago has yielded any results.

The team, headed by director-general Mathanzima Mweli, spent the past two days locked in meetings at the Stirling teacher’s centre with senior provincial education officials, including acting head Sizakele Netshilaphala.

Mweli said yesterday the visit was more of a fact-finding mission on whether “the section 100 (1)(b) instituted to assist the department to sort out its problems in seven key areas had made any difference”.

It was reported last week that Motshekga was sending teams of experts to three provinces following continued poor matric results, bad curriculum delivery and weak administration.

The Eastern Cape department made headlines earlier this year when it failed to spend R530-million earmarked for infrastructure development.

The department is still partly under administration following cabinet’s 2011 decision to invoke section 100 1(b) of the constitution – which allows for the takeover of some functions of a department.

The administrators were assigned to improve data management, ensure efficient management of human resources, enhance infrastructure management and maintenance, implement supply chain management reforms and refurbish information and communications technology infrastructure.

When changes did not take place fast enough, Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle decided in June last year to replace then accounting officer Ray Tywakadi with Netshilaphala, from the provincial treasury.

“We received reports about the seven areas of concerns identified before the administrator took over,” Mweli, who left on Monday night to attend more pressing issues in Limpopo, said.

“We dealt with most areas on Monday, but some officials are still receiving briefs about three outstanding areas of concern.

“Once we have all the facts, we will hand over the report to the minister . . . If she is satisfied, she will then table a report to the cabinet.

“I can’t say whether the department has turned the corner until I get a full briefing from all affected directorates.”