Despite claims by Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier that he was not invited to a handover facilitated by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) and held on Monday at two schools in George, Dirco Deputy Minister Alvin Botes says an invitation was extended to provincial education, albeit indirectly.
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Botes, along with the Korean Embassy, participated in a handover ceremony of IT equipment at the two schools in the Western Cape town.
This saw Maynier take to social media, asking why the visit was not discussed with him.
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Why was this visit not discussed with me @DIRCO_ZA? https://t.co/DvkS1R0xbr
— David Maynier (@DavidMaynier) September 17, 2023
However, in response, Botes replied that both the Western Cape government and the George municipality had been invited by posting a copy of the correspondence.
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According to provincial education, only district officials were invited and not the MEC.
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‘It would have been appropriate for you to write to my office regarding the proposed visit, as the national Minister and Deputy Minister of Basic Education do,’ Maynier responded to Botes.
‘We appreciate the contribution to our schools and hope that you will enjoy your visit to the Western Cape.’
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Speaking to News24, Maynier said that extending an invitation to him directly was a matter of courtesy in order to ensure proper planning and avoid any disruptions to teaching and learning.
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Picture: Ivan Aleksic / Unsplash