JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) has formally called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to sanction Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube over her decision to keep the new Foundation Phase textbook catalogue suspended. Despite multiple investigations clearing the procurement process, the union argues that the minister’s continued delay constitutes political interference that impedes educational transformation.
SADTU Secretariat Officer Xolani Fakude emphasized that the union’s demand for accountability is rooted in legality and the broader transformation of the education sector. According to Fakude, administrative processes regarding the national catalogue for Grade 1 to 3 learning and teaching materials lie solely within the mandate of the accounting officer, namely the Director General.
“It cannot be correct that… a minister… [comes] in under the disguise of political oversight to inhibit the process,” Fakude stated, arguing that the minister is overreaching her constitutional role and that the national catalogue must be implemented as overseen by the Director General in his statutory capacity.
The controversy centers on the procurement of services from Lighthouse Publishers. Reports indicate that both internal and external independent investigations have cleared the publisher and the procurement process of any fraud or wrongdoing. Nevertheless, the minister has maintained the suspension of the catalogue, prompting further political scrutiny. DA federal leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has also echoed calls for President Ramaphosa to intervene in the matter.
When questioned about the rationale behind the continued hold on the implementation, Fakude rejected the notion that it is a matter of standard due diligence. Instead, he alleged that the delay is a political move designed to protect the commercial interests of a “publishing cartel” comprising legacy houses such as Via Africa and Maskew Miller Longman, which have historically dominated the market.
“This is not about proof anymore; investigations have been done,” Fakude explained, noting that instituting further investigations appears to be a tactic to delay implementation. He argued this protects established commercial interests at the expense of transformative, decolonized, and contextualized learning materials for South African learners.
The union highlighted that forcing provincial education departments to rely on 14-year-old textbook catalogues directly harms the relevance, equity, and quality of education. SADTU maintains that true equality requires giving new, transformed players an opportunity to contribute to the national curriculum narrative.
Fakude concluded by reiterating that the President possesses the constitutional authority to demand that Minister Gwarube account for the delay. SADTU remains categorical in its dissatisfaction, insisting that the matter be resolved without further political obstruction to ensure learners receive relevant and modern educational resources.
