Inquiry launched into dumped textbooks

KwaZulu-Natal education MEC Senzo Mchunu on Thursday (25 July) told Motshekga of widespread dumping of numeracy and literacy textbooks for grades one to six and Grade 12 mathematics guidebooks.

"If it was my call, I would suspend the contract and then move to cut the contract altogether. The company must then be blacklisted," he said.

Earlier this year, Mchunu said he was told the company did not deliver textbooks to schools but "dumped" them at the education district office.

"Principals had to go to the office to pick up the books. We later heard that books were found in a warehouse in Tongaat," Mchunu said.

But it was Thursday's discovery that led Mchunu to alert Motshekga and lay criminal charges against UTi.

"When I got a tip-off, I rushed out to Empangeni. I found burnt textbooks outside the UTi warehouse. When I went inside I found five bags of shredded textbooks.

"At the back of the warehouse were shredded textbooks soaked in water. I am told when books are put in water, one can get more money from recycling them. I was also told there was a box of textbooks under a canopy," Mchunu said.

He said the UTi manager's explanation to police was that the books were damaged by rain.

"I simply cannot accept that. This looks to me like corruption. The company was only delivering half of what it should have been distributing and then submitting invoices for the whole job," Mchunu charged.

UTi spokesman Gill Jones said the company would comment on the allegations in a statement. She was unable to say when a statement would be released.

Source: The Times via I-Net Bridge