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Democratic Alliance (DA) KwaZulu-Natal education spokesperson Sakhile Mngadi has, in a TikTok video, sharply criticised Build One SA (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane, accusing him of \u201clying\u201d and \u201cgrandstanding\u201d about a motion on South Africa\u2019s matric pass requirements.<\/p>\n
This follows Parliament\u2019s rejection this week of Maimane\u2019s motion, which sought to reassess the 30% minimum pass requirement in certain Grade 12 subjects. MPs voted 119 against the motion with only 87 in favour, with the ANC, DA, Patriotic Alliance, FF Plus and Al Jama-Ah opposing the proposal.<\/p>\n
Maimane framed the vote as a defence of \u201cmediocrity\u201d, saying: \u201cToday we lost the vote to end 30% as a pass mark at any level in our public education system\u2026 They hugged incompetence and embraced mediocrity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n@sakhilemngadiza <\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8Don’t fall for fake news. There was no vote on the 30% pass mark in Parliament! The resolution called on the Basic Education Minister to appoint a panel of experts on the pass mark. She has already appointed a panel to review assessment, progression and promotion requirements. Simply raising the pass threshold without addressing the root causes of poor performance earlier in the system would push more learners out and deepen inequality.<\/p>\n
\u266c original sound – Sakhile Mngadi MPL <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Mngadi, however, says Maimane is misleading the public about both the content of his motion and how the matric pass system works.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be a great disservice to the nation if I didn\u2019t debunk the mistruths by Mmusi Maimane, who starts lying to us by portraying himself as somebody who had proposed a motion\u2026 that wanted to raise the matric pass rate from 30% to 50%,\u201d Mngadi said.<\/p>\n
He argues that Maimane\u2019s motion did not call for Parliament to raise the pass mark, but rather to create a committee to explore the feasibility of doing so. \u201cThe motion does not seek to raise the pass rate from 30% to 50%. The motion is calling for the department and the minister to look into establishing a committee. That is not asking Parliament to vote on taking the pass mark from 30% to 50%,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mngadi went further, suggesting Maimane either \u201cdoesn\u2019t know what he is trying to do or he is just, with intent, trying to misinform everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also challenged widespread perceptions about the 30% benchmark. \u201cThe pass rate isn\u2019t 30%. If you get 30% for all your matric subjects\u2026 you fail matric,\u201d he stressed, explaining that the system\u2019s tiered structure: certificate, diploma, and bachelor passes serve different learner pathways.<\/p>\n
According to Mngadi, the DA and ANC opposed the motion because government has already established the National Education Training Council (NETC), which is researching potential changes to pass requirements.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe minister announced the NETC, which is already doing just that,\u201d he said. Passing Maimane\u2019s motion, he argued, would merely allow him to \u201ctry to claim that he was the one who forced government to up the standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mngadi warned that abruptly increasing the pass threshold would \u201cexclude hundreds of thousands of learners\u201d from educational opportunities in an unequal society.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs someone who is in government, you need to govern for all people,\u201d he said, adding that the system is showing improvements and \u201cchildren in our country are starting to achieve at high levels.\u201d<\/p>\n
THE MERCURY<\/strong><\/p>\n