MEC MAILE SPEAKS TO TSHWANE TALKS AT RIBANE LAKA SECONDARY SCHOOL

Community members at large in Mamelodi east, Tshwane photos by Dimakatso Modipa

MEC for Education, Sports, Arts and Culture in Gauteng Lebogang Maile spoke to Tshwane Talks at the Ribane Laka Secondary School on Monday regarding issues of education, sports arts and culture and recreation at schools in the province.

He was joined by City of Tshwane MMC for Utilities Frans Boshielo, ward 18 councillor Tovey Masemola, different traditional king, education activists, different NPO, CPF members and community at large.

This is part of Maile’s “It takes a Village to Raise a Child” campaign through which he aims to improve the culture of teaching and learning at schools around Gauteng.

“We are here in Mamelodi as part of our campaign to encourage schools to participate in sports, arts and cultural activities and we are positive that in the near future we will be able to overcome the challenges that we are currently faced with at schools,” said Maile.

“Those challenges include gangsterism, violence in general, educators not being safe, learning and teaching being disrupted and infrastructure being vandalised,” he said.

“These above-mentioned challenges are systemic and we are going to deal with them systemically and that is why we have started by analysing the state of education in the province; the issue of overcrowding at schools as well as the issue of Early Childhood Development Centres ( ECDs)” enthused Maile.

“Some of these issues will be resolved immediately, others will be resolved in the medium term while others still will be resolved in the long term,” he said.

He urged parents to take responsibility for the education of their children by participating in all school-related activities.

Phakedi Tsiane of Operation Lokisa Sgela told Tshwane Talks that though they have accepted all the lofty ideals espoused by MEC Maile, Maile must come back in the near future to implement what he has promised to learners, teachers and stakeholders.

President of Voice It In Action Kgothatso Moloto told Tshwane Talks that what is important now is for MEC Maile to follow through on what he has promised as well as the observations he has made.

“The MEC has succintly said it takes a village to raise a child; we want to be part of that village but the MEC must open those village doors for us as stakeholders so that we can participate meaningfully,” said Moloto.

“MECs always point out issues that need to be addressed but in many cases we never see any action in this regard and we had questions which we wanted to pose to the MEC, but unfortunately we were never given a chance to do so,” lamented Tsalanang NPO Secretary Kgothatso Makola.

Khaya Mokoape, who is from the creative sector in Mamelodi, said he has lost hope in the Gauteng Provincial government as often times the government speaks of lack of a budget, yet it always says it wants to work together with the creative industry.

“We know for sure that there is a budget but government entities like the Gauteng Film Commission only fund their own people, so as a forum for artists we have decided to do things on our own and for ourselves, and forget about the Gauteng Provincial government,” lamented Mokoape.

“The MEC came here to play games and acted like some Pontius Pilate and we now need action and not the talk show that he presented to us as stakeholders,” said Mokoape as he in the process pointed out that previous MECs of sports and culture in Gauteng like Faith Mazibuko and Mbhali Hlophe made promises to build a stadium in Mamelodi but even today their promises remain hollow.