Chairperson, I have a different speakers' list, but it's fine, I will take the podium. Hon Deputy President and all members present, South Africa, as a collective, must respond to the developmental challenges facing our communities. The foundation of development starts at school level; there is no other way. Research has shown that rural scholars lag up to seven years behind their urban counterparts in basic skills like reading and writing. Fifty per cent of schoolchildren drop out before high school, mostly in rural areas. This paints a picture of a dysfunctional education system, and the crisis that we are facing.
The ugly scene that played itself out last week in Gauteng, where a principal appeared in court for allegedly assaulting one of his students, is unacceptable. During his court appearance, his colleagues went to court to support him and left the students on their own.
The Congress of South African Students, Cosas, the student body, issued a statement saying that students must hit back when teachers assault them. The Gauteng secretary of the SA Democratic Teachers' Union, Sadtu, then threatened by saying that educators must leave schools because they can't put their lives in danger.
Clearly, schools have become battlefields. It is unacceptable, and nobody can or must tolerate such behaviour from either side - students and educators. Corruption is spreading like wildfire in society. Corrupt officials are stealing the tomorrow of our communities.
In 2007, the Special Investigating Unit recommended 426 disciplinary cases against Correctional Services officials for excessive medical claims. In 2009, the same unit, under Willie Hofmeyr, presented a report to the Minister of Correctional Services on the extent of corruption and fraud in the awarding of tenders in the Department of Correctional Services. We need to ask what has been done about this.
If there is any person mentioned in this damning report of the Special Investigating Unit, Cope is saying that arrests must take place with immediate effect. This is taxpayers' money that was used to investigate this corruption. Secondly, millions in taxpayers' money was involved in this corruption. Cope fully supports the initiative by the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Casac, chairperson, Sipho Pityana, in establishing ...