Today the ANC in the Limpopo Legislature accepted the DA motions on the Limpopo Department of Education’s failure to deal with violence, sexual harassment and learner safety as well as our opposition to the Firearms Control Amendment Bill.
They opposed a motion acknowledging a handover of farm title deeds by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The first motion noted the need to protect gun ownership for self-defence as it is the last line of defence for many people in Limpopo and the rest of South Africa. It also outlined that factors such as an under-resourced South African Police Service (SAPS), high crime rate in Limpopo, porous borders and lax rural safety plans necessitated lawful firearm ownership for self-defence.
The second motion was that learners in the province have been subjected to bullying, school stabbings, gangsterism in schools, sexual harassment, inappropriate sanitation and poor infrastructure as a result of the Limpopo Department of Education’s failures and called for a debate on these issues as well as the plans from the department to address them.
The admission by the ANC in the legislature of the Limpopo Department of Education’s failures show the extent of the crisis in our schools. There has been no improvement over the years and no funds dedicated specifically to directly address security concerns and bolster security measures at problematic schools.
The DA’s third motion was rejected by the ANC. It noted that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s handover of title deeds in May to 30 farmers in Tafelkop was definite proof that there is no need to amend section 25 of the constitution. The handover displayed that meaningful land redistribution and redress can take place as long as there is political will to carry it out.
The DA was shocked by the ANC’s stance and refusal to acknowledge the importance of handing over title deeds to farmers who had leased the land for over 25 years. The ANC’s rejection of the motion can be interpreted as a disinterest with progressing land reform and an obsession with amending section 25 of the constitution.
It must be noted that the DA was the only opposition party to participate in the budget speech debates of Education and Transport and Community Safety. This is proof that the DA remains committed to serving the people of Limpopo.