Department spokesperson, Geoffrey van der Merwe, says the misinformation - which focuses heavily on the Namakwa camp - is tarnishing the department’s reputation and is misleading the public. He says arrangements for the 3-month camps which are meant to salvage what is left of the school year are in fact yet to be finalised. OFM News’ Olebogeng Motse reports the camps, spread across seven location points across the province, were initially meant to have begun on August 14.

In a press release dated August 11, the department revealed it would be welcoming 3000 gr. 12 learners to camp sites across the province that week, in preparation for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams. Van Der Merwe assured parents and the public at large that the department had put measures in place to safeguard the health of all educators and learners attending the camps amidst the coronavirus pandemic. These include regular screening and testing as well as supplying personal protective gear for all those in attendance. However Van Der Merwe now announces that to date, no order number has been issued or service providers appointed, contrary to allegations on social media.

The department views the corruption allegations as damaging and are as a result seeking legal advice to guide them in determining what steps to take against those who continue to spread the misinformation. “We will also investigate where this information originates from, as it is claimed to be 'sources' within the department. These officials will be subjected to all due disciplinary processes and the appropriate action will be taken in this regard,” warns Van Der Merwe.

He stresses that their efforts as a department are geared towards saving the school academic year, especially because matric learners “lost valuable learning and teaching time for the better part of the year. The only solution we have, without compromising their future, is to incubate these learners for a period of 3 months until they write the exams”.

He, however, doesn’t state when the camps will officially kick off, seeing as the start date was pushed back.

OFM News