RP Outraged Over Reduction in WC Teacher Numbers

Referendum Party Outraged at Reduction in Western Cape Teacher Numbers

The Referendum Party (RP) is furious that there will be 2 047 fewer teachers in the Western Cape from 1 January 2025 and says that on this occasion, the Democratic Alliance must shoulder the blame.

RP leader Phil Craig says, “What we are now seeing is the inevitable consequence of political cowardice by the DA-led Western Cape Government. The DA have had opportunity after opportunity to protect the Western Cape people against a national government they didn’t elect, and they have squandered most of them. Administering the Western Cape well is not enough, the DA must use their 15 year outright provincial majority to change the system for the better.”

There may be merit to the DA’s argument that these cuts in teacher numbers are a result of budget cuts made by national Government, but that is only half the story.

These cuts are the cumulative consequences of taking R1bn from the Education and Health budgets to fund policing rather than taking control of SAPS, of failing to deal with one million illegal land invaders migrating from the Eastern Cape, and of accepting a situation where 35% of the Western Cape’s tax revenue is used to subsidise failing government in the rest of South Africa.

Had the DA supported the Western Cape Peoples Bill, it would now have had a legal basis to deal with each of these issues and to improve services to the Western Cape people. Instead, it blocked the bill and the Western Cape people are now sitting with the consequences whilst the DA cosy up to the ANC in the GNU. 

DATE: 28 August 2024

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