WHILE South Africa celebrates human rights month, Eastern Cape education MEC Mandla Makupula told hundreds of students they are not entitled to any rights.
The country celebrates Human Rights Day on March 21, with the entire month dedicated to human rights .
Makupula told pupils at the Bhisho legislature on Saturday no child under the age of 21 who was still dependent on their parents or guardians for food and shelter had any rights.
He was addressing hundreds of high school pupils attending the provincial schools’ debate on p remier Noxolo Kiviet’s state of the province address .
The MEC, who was not scheduled to address the pupils, also told the debating pupils he did not believe some of them had prepared and researched their debates themselves. He told the pupils judging by their ages and the content of their arguments, they were not capable of doing it by themselves without the help of adults.
His comments come a month after angry parents walked out of his meeting to resolve teacher shortages across East London schools, where instead he shared jokes about his student years when he used to smoke cigarettes.
“For you, rights come later in life when you are independent, finished studying and have your own place to stay and your own car. That is when you can start talking about rights,” Makupula said.
He cited an example of a King William’s Town boy who took his father to court a few years back after the father had insisted on sending the boy to an initiation school . He said such a thing would have never happen in his home.
“I asked myself what was wrong with that boy. His father did go to the initiation school, but because of the rights now, he did not want to go there himself.
“I wish he could have been my child, I would have hit him on the head with a knobkerrie and he would have gone to that initiation school crying.”
Turning his focus to their debating contest, the MEC said “some of the things said by learners here left me wondering as I do not think it was you speaking”.
“Some of you were more eloquent and articulate standing here in this podium. I could see some things are too much advanced for you to know and say here ,” said Makupula. —
You’re not entitled to any rights, MEC tells pupils
The country celebrates Human Rights Day on March 21, with the entire month dedicated to human rights .
Makupula told pupils at the Bhisho legislature on Saturday no child under the age of 21 who was still dependent on their parents or guardians for food and shelter had any rights.
He was addressing hundreds of high school pupils attending the provincial schools’ debate on p remier Noxolo Kiviet’s state of the province address .
The MEC, who was not scheduled to address the pupils, also told the debating pupils he did not believe some of them had prepared and researched their debates themselves. He told the pupils judging by their ages and the content of their arguments, they were not capable of doing it by themselves without the help of adults.
His comments come a month after angry parents walked out of his meeting to resolve teacher shortages across East London schools, where instead he shared jokes about his student years when he used to smoke cigarettes.
“For you, rights come later in life when you are independent, finished studying and have your own place to stay and your own car. That is when you can start talking about rights,” Makupula said.
He cited an example of a King William’s Town boy who took his father to court a few years back after the father had insisted on sending the boy to an initiation school . He said such a thing would have never happen in his home.
“I asked myself what was wrong with that boy. His father did go to the initiation school, but because of the rights now, he did not want to go there himself.
“I wish he could have been my child, I would have hit him on the head with a knobkerrie and he would have gone to that initiation school crying.”
Turning his focus to their debating contest, the MEC said “some of the things said by learners here left me wondering as I do not think it was you speaking”.
“Some of you were more eloquent and articulate standing here in this podium. I could see some things are too much advanced for you to know and say here ,” said Makupula. —
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