Statement by Toby Chance MP – DA Spokesperson on Trade, Industry & Competition:
The DA is deeply disturbed by reports that the Competition Commission’s has imposed “transformation” conditions on the noble plan to turn Curro schools into a non-profit organisation, which would expand access to quality education for hundreds of thousands of children, on the grounds that the deal may not be “transformative” enough.
The DA opposes any attempt by authorities to turn this genuinely transformative measure into any kind of BEE deal, which would be complete over-reach and racialism dressed up as transformation.
There is nothing more transformative than quality education. Curro already serves over 70 000 pupils, with 85% from historically disadvantaged communities. The Mouton family trust plans to reinvest Curro’s income to build new schools, expand facilities, and provide bursaries.
The deal directly tackles the education gap and supports learners who need it most.
Instead of celebrating a move that clearly benefits disadvantaged pupils and strengthens South Africa’s education sector, the Competition Commission is demanding additional conditions, implying that doing the right thing for learners is not enough.
The Competition Commission, instead of protecting consumers, is obsessed with interfering in private transactions on vague “public interest” grounds. Namibia and Botswana’s competition authorities approved the merger unconditionally, while our authority puts ideological roadblocks in the way of even the most generous and beneficial transactions.
The DA believes this is completely wrong.
True transformation is measured by results, not rhetoric. The Curro transaction delivers exactly that: more access, better education, and real opportunity for learners across the country.
Blocking it would punish philanthropy, innovation, and progress while doing nothing to address the real challenges in education.
This deal could benefit millions of learners, moving South Africa toward genuine transformation. The Competition Commission should not meddle through vague conditions to insert BEE or racial politics into this genuinely transformative project.