<\/p>\n
Congress of the People (COPE) has joined voices of concerned citizens and civil organisations in condemning what they termed an \u201calarming trend\u201d of corporate branding infiltrating school classrooms, following the government\u2019s decision to roll out desks that convert into a school bag in the Eastern Cape.<\/p>\n
Last week, the Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, announced that McDonald\u2019s donated foldable plastic desks to Grade 1 learners.<\/p>\n
The desks are meant to ease learners\u2019 daily stress of worrying about whether there will be chairs and desks available for them at school.<\/p>\n
About five schools in the province\u2019s rural areas have benefited through a donation of modern foldable desks.<\/p>\n
In a statement, COPE said this move represented a dangerous compromise of children’s rights and a betrayal of the state’s constitutional duty to protect and uplift the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n
\u201cSouth Africa’s children are not billboards for junk food corporations.<\/p>\n
At a time when our nation grapples with an obesity epidemic and rising non-communicable diseases, disproportionately affecting working-class and rural black communities, this partnership exposes children to predatory marketing of high-fat, sugar, and salt foods,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
COPE rejected the \u201ccynical ploy\u201d by McDonald’s, which masqueraded as charity while profiting from the health crisis it helps perpetuate, saying children deserve better than to be pawns in a corporate game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis incident lays bare the failures of austerity and government neglect. The underfunding of education has created a vacuum that corporations like McDonald’s, Old Mutual, and Hollywood Bets exploit for branding opportunities,\u201d COPE said.<\/p>\n
The political party asserted that education is a public good, not a marketplace for private interests.<\/p>\n
COPE called on the government to immediately recall these branded desks and for the state to provide dignified learning conditions without corporate strings attached.<\/p>\n
It also demanded accountability from Gwarube as well as the department.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, COPE urged the National Treasury to reverse the disinvestment in education and ensure every child had access to a safe, healthy, and exploitation-free learning environment.<\/p>\n
It said, \u201cSouth Africa’s future depends on a government that serves its people, not sells them out.\u201d<\/p>\n
The likes of Mmusi Maimane and other prominent people have also condemned the department on the move.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Gwarube defended the government\u2019s decision and said the desks were good for the children as approved by UNESCO.<\/p>\n
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za<\/p>\n
Politics<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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