The Eastern Cape education department has been condemned for
its decision to make schools procure their own personal protective equipment (PPE)
for the first quarter of the academic year.
Schools are expected to open on February 15.
However, the department insists that everything is above
board. In a statement on the state of readiness for reopening, Eastern Cape Education
MEC Fundile Gade said, “In the 2020 academic year, the department managed to procure
all the necessary PPE for pupils, teachers and supportive staff. For the first quarter of the 2021 academic year, schools
have been instructed to procure their own PPE. The department will thereafter procure
in quarter two. A circular will be issued to all principals and governing bodies
to ensure that cleanliness and health standards are adhered to when schools reopen.”
However, DA spokesperson for education Yusuf Cassim believes
that Gade is setting schools up for failure.
“It is a callous and heartless decision that throws the poor
to the COVID-19 wolves. This is what happens when the department caves in to tenderpreneurs
charging vastly inflated prices for PPE.
“We have already lost valuable academic time to give the department
extra time to prepare schools to open safely, and now they are passing the buck.
It is clear that they have not learnt anything from their numerous mistakes
last year. The department is setting these schools up for failure and placing
our children’s lives at risk in the process,” said Cassim.
He said that, in a caring and capable state, the department
would already have identified what PPE would be needed, procured the necessary supplies,
and ensured delivery while schools are still closed.
The department has tried to outline how the procurement will
take place and insists that there is enough money for schools to independently procure
protective gear.
Eastern Cape education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said
that they made a deliberate decision to decentralise the procurement for PPE for
term 1, in line with this year’s school readiness plan adopted by the
provincial government.
“The new approach of decentralising procurement of PPE will
be down through district offices to ensure observation of procurement policies
and National Treasury regulations. To ensure that all schools are able to
procure PPE, the department made a transfer of R24.1 million in January 2021 (for
January to March) to schools, topping up to the R2.4 billion of norms and standards
funds already transferred to schools last year,” said Mtima.
He said specifications were sent to all schools and that districts
were further required to verify the consignments acquired by schools within seven
days of opening.
As part of the monitoring process, the department has prepared
a team to assist with troubleshooting any emergencies that ay arise.
