WATCH: Education department vows to assist vendors in ‘unethical’ behaviour of school principals and SGBs
“As people who want to put bread on the table, our commitment to you is that we will take your memorandum to the policy formulating bodies and make your voice heard there as well.”
The education department promised to look into accusations by vendors that schoolteachers are opening their own stalls to sell meals and snacks to learners.
This follows a march by vendors from schools in Atteridgevile, Hammanskraal, Winterveld, Mamelodi, Stinkwater in the Pretoria CBD on Thursday. They gathered at Burgers Park and marched onto the department’s building in Pretorius Street.
“Teachers who earn salaries are now stealing from other people’s sources of income,” said Black Nationalist Rights Forum spokesperson Baatseba Nchabeleng.
The vendors blame school principals, SGBs and the Department of Education for not allowing them back at schools to sell snacks, etc. now that Covid regulations have been relaxed.
The vendors are part of the Botho ba rena civil and black nationalist rights forum and supported by the National Enterprises Workers Union.
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They demanded to be allowed back at schools because it was the only source of income for them and their families.
Often, they would need money to pay for school fees at the very schools where they used to sell their wares.
“Now that the schools are back to normal again, they too should be allowed back to trade inside schools.”
According to Nchabeleng, the basic education department in 2020 released a memo that instructed school vendors to stop selling food and snacks to learners as part of Covid-19 regulations.
“Vendors adhered to this even though it was a great disadvantage to their rights of making a living. They feel discriminated against by the department.
“We have families to feed. Our children need internet for school and we need to purchase basics like electricity.
“The department has denied us our rights to make a living.”
“We are trying to raise children who will one day be part of South Africa’s economy.
“The food stalls you see help us pay for that.”
Nchabeleng further claimed that teachers, school principals and SGBs have opened their own tuck shops and/or are working with people who have.
She said if the department did not respond to their demands, they would look into possible legal action.
Gauteng Department of Education, District Director for Tshwane south, Paula Galego, received their memorandum.
Galego said they would refer it to the relevant department.
“As the Tshwane south district, we only implement policy. We don’t make it.
“As people who also have to put bread on the table, we are committed to taking your memorandum to the relevant body to make your voice heard there.”
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