Statement by Ciska Jordaan MP – DA Deputy Spokesperson on Basic Education:
The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes today’s engagement of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education with the Minister and officials of the Department of Basic Education regarding allegations of irregularities in recruitment processes.
During the proceedings, a key allegation – that the Minister or her office instructed officials to include specific CVs in a shortlist – was directly refuted by the official concerned, who confirmed that no such instruction was received.
This is a critical clarification, which goes to the heart of the claims that triggered this engagement. Despite clear confirmation by the Department’s Chief Director for Human Resources that Minister Siviwe Gwarube did not interfere in the recruitment process under discussion, certain members continued to push a shifting narrative built on insinuation rather than evidence.
Instead of settling the matter following this confirmation, the Chairperson allowed the Committee to embark on a wild goose chase, shifting allegations and permitting baseless speculation about ongoing HR processes and even concerning private individuals who are no longer public servants – matters that carry clear legal implications and should never have been entertained without proper legal advice, reflecting recklessness and uninformed decision-making on her part.
The DA further notes that, when providing evidence to the Committee, officials confirmed that the actions taken by the Minister were consistent with her legal responsibilities as Executive Authority, including ensuring that recruitment processes are lawful, fair, and based on merit.
The facts are straightforward. The Minister acted squarely within the ambit of the Public Service Act. At no stage did the Minister or her office instruct that any candidate be favoured or prejudiced. To portray lawful executive oversight as interference is not only misleading – it risks undermining the professional functioning of committees of Parliament.
The DA cautions against the use of unverified claims by certain Members of the Committee to cast aspersions on lawful executive oversight, particularly where such claims are contradicted by the evidence presented to the Committee.
The DA is concerned that what should be a matter of administrative clarity is increasingly being framed in a manner that risks undermining legitimate efforts to strengthen governance within the Department.
The work currently underway to improve the integrity of recruitment processes and attract skilled professionals into the public service is both necessary and long overdue.
The DA supports the Minister’s continued efforts to professionalise the Department of Basic Education, strengthen accountability, and ensure that appointments are made in the best interests of learners and the country.
As the Committee process is ongoing, the DA encourages that all further engagements be guided by facts, the law, and a shared commitment to protecting the integrity of the Department.
The Committee’s focus should remain on strengthening and providing oversight over the work of the Department and ensuring that it fulfils its responsibility to serve the 13.7 million learners in South Africa’s basic education system, rather than being drawn into a politically-manufactured witch hunt.
The DA will continue to support reforms that build a capable, ethical and professional public service and will not allow parliamentary processes to be abused to intimidate reform-minded leadership.
firedog
Fun South African Fact: The swimming pool vacuum cleaner is a South African invention.
Maple Destroyer
Van is getting married, but he and his fiancee have never done the deed – in fact he\’s never been with any woman before. He\’s getting more and more nervous as the big day approaches, so he confides in his friend. His friend says \’No worries man. I\’ll come by the honeymoon suite before you guys get there, and I\’ll hide behind the curtain, and I\’ll whisper instructions to you.\’
\’You\’d do that for me?\’
\’Sure thing man!\’
So the wedding day arrives, it was a lovely service (so I was told, I wasn\’t there myself) and Van\’s friend sneaks into the honeymoon suite as promised and hides behind the curtain.
Van and his new wife arrive in the room, get settled on the bed, and things are getting steamy.
But Van is still super nervous and his tummy is bubbling, so he murmers to his wife, \’Listen babe, I\’m just gonna go to the bathroom quick. I think it\’s that wors roll from earlier.\’
\’Sure thing babe.\’
So Van goes into the bathroom, and he\’s taking quite a long time. And his wife is starting to feel the nerves herself. And it\’s getting worse. She can\’t hold it in. But she doesn\’t want to go after he\’s gone and totally ruin the mood. So she looks around and finally finds a shoebox. Quickly, she does her business in the shoebox, and she shoves it under the bed just as Van comes back from the loo.
Van gets back on the bed and they go at it again. But after a minute or so Van smells something not so lekker.
\’What\’s that smell?\’
\’Nothing babe,\’ he wife tries to assure him.
\’No man there\’s definitely something not so lekker in this room!\’VSo Van starts looking around the room, in the corners, in the cupboard, and finally he looks under the bed, and sees the shoebox.
He pull it out, and opens it up, and in horror he shouts \’Sies! Daar\’s kak in hierdie doos!\’
And from behind the curtain his friend yells, \’NEE MAN, DRAAI HAAR OM!\”