23-06-2025
Select Committee on Education condemns infrastructure failures after Eastern Cape School tragedy, pledges accountability
Makhi Feni urges accountability in school infrastructure after a tragic minibus accident, vowing oversight and support for affected families while addressing national failures in safety and disaster preparedness.
Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences, and Creative Industries, Makhi Feni, has addressed a range of urgent national issues affecting the basic education sector.
Speaking at the Social Services Cluster Briefing on Monday, he highlighted challenges ranging from infrastructure damage caused by recent floods to the implementation of progressive education legislation, including the BELA Act and the Early Childhood Development Amendment Act.
Feni expressed his deepest condolences following a tragic incident where 13 schoolchildren died after a minibus fell into a river while crossing a bridge in the Eastern Cape. He described it as a national tragedy that reflects broader infrastructure and safety failures.
"We lost the future. As the committee, we are with the families. We are feeling what they are feeling," Feni said.
He emphasised the committee's commitment to investigating the incident and supporting the affected families.
He confirmed that oversight visits and a full disaster management report would be pursued to investigate possible negligence or poor workmanship in infrastructure projects.
Feni stressed the importance of accountability in infrastructure spending, especially after floods have severely damaged school properties across the country.
"We do not want to find ourselves rebuilding because someone ticked a box without providing quality."
Moreover, Feni said the committee would work with the Auditor General to monitor the use of public funds and submit quarterly broadcast reports to ensure transparency.
