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WENDY MOTHATA|
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa says that 96% of children of school-going age are in school while wo-thirds of those pupils attend schools where their parents do not have to pay school fees.
Ramaphosa was reflecting on the gains made and challenges the country has grappled with since April 27, 1994.
The president led Freedom Day celebrations at the Kees Taljaard Stadium in Middelburg, Mpumalanga.
“Ninety-six per cent of children of school-going age are in school. Two-thirds of these learners attend no-fee schools,” said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa, however, conceded that “”much more still needs to be done”.
He said that that free tertiary education was also being provided to young people in South Africa.
“Free tertiary education is being provided to young South Africans to study, a dream that was denied their forebears,” he said.
He further added that more than 600 000 learners in Mpumalanga received their daily meals at various schools across the province.
“Here in Mpumalanga, more than 600 000 children from poor households receive a meal at school through the National School Nutrition Programme,” Ramaphosa said.
The president added that the National School Nutrition programme currently feeds more than nine million learners every school day across the country.
“In democratic SA, 81% of people live in formal housing. Nine out of 10 South Africans have access to clean water and more than 85% have access to electricity. In democratic SA, basic education and health care is no longer the privilege of a few, but available to all,” he said.
Ramaphosa said: “In democratic South Africa, basic education and health care is no longer the privilege
of a few, but available to all.”
While the country has mixed feelings regarding the scourge of Gender Based-Violence, crime and corruption, Ramaphosa said there were laws to protect the vulnerable in the country.
“Gender-based violence, substance abuse and other societal ills have become rampant in our communities. Crime and violence is eating away at our society. We can only defeat crime if we work together, as families, as communities and community leaders, as faith communities and leaders, and as individuals,” he said.
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