The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the ruling by the North Gauteng High Court that Early Childhood Development Centres (ECD) may reopen, and we implore the centres to open as soon as possible while adhering to Covid-19 Health and Safety guidelines issued by the Department of Social Development (DSD).
The sector has been in turmoil since the easing of the Covid-19 lockdown due to the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu’s ineptitude and unwillingness to engage with the sector.
Due to the Minister’s ever-changing goalposts in order to delay the opening of the sector, many ECDs had to close their doors permanently and the children they serviced are now left in the cold.
The Minister has so little regard for the sector and the children it benefits, that she failed to even file an answering affidavit.
The judge in the matter, Judge Hans Fabricius, pulled no punches regarding the Minister’s conduct in the matter: “The conduct of the first respondent in these proceeding falls far short of the standard that can and must be expected in these crucially important proceedings concerning young and vulnerable children, and my strong disapproval thereof must be expressed. Were it not for the interests of young children, I would have made short-thrift of all the inadmissible evidence”. He also said, “It is submitted that the conduct of the first and third respondent are not only irrational but illustrative of a flagrant disregard of their Constitutional duties and obligations envisaged in section 195 of the Constitution.”
Minister Zulu’s conduct is a classic example of Cabinet Ministers who deem themselves above the law, and underscores the need for an ad hoc oversight committee on the National Corona Command Council (NCCC) in order to avoid the implementation of more irrational regulations by Ministers that cause unnecessary pain, suffering and hardship to South Africans.
It is high time that President Cyril Ramaphosa takes his Ministers to task. Minister Zulu is only the latest Minister to utterly fail her mandate in having the best interest of those in her care at heart and ensuring that she serves the vulnerable in our society.
Minister Zulu has shown continuous disdain to the poor of South Africa. From her deplorable failings regarding SASSA grants to her abysmal handling of the reopening of the ECD sector, she has shown that she is incapable of managing such a crucial ministry. It’s high time she is put somewhere where she can do no more harm, for the good of all South Africans suffering at her incompetent hands.
Instead of Government, business and civil society fighting each other court case after court case, we should be united and focused on our joint fight against Covid-19.
Click here to contribute to the DA’s legal action challenging irrational and dangerous elements of the hard lockdown in court