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Tsolo pupils put Stofile under fire
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Premier's Office

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MEDIA RELEASE
 FOR IMMEDIATE USE
 8 NOVEMBER 2000

TSOLO PUPILS PUT PREMIER UNDER FIRE

Eastern Cape Premier, Rev Makhenkesi Stofile, yesterday   came under fire when learners from DRC (English Medium) Junior Secondary School 
interrogated him about his career as a politician.

The grade one – three foundation phase learners from Tsolo were on an educational tour, the first for learners of their age by the school 
to Bisho and East London. The trip to the Premier’s Office was inspired by Social Science lesson where it was discovered that a number of 
learners did not know who the Premier of the province was.

Subsequent to the lesson the learners made a request that they would like to meet the Premier and ask him a couple of questions and talk to 
him about their problems.

Yesterday was a realisation of their dream. An eight-year-old learner, Sindiswa Mdutyana, asked the Premier whether he dreamt of being a 
premier when he was her age. In response Rev Stofile said that when he was eight he had not even started school because it was 10 
kilometres away from where he stayed and had to develop strong legs to get there. He added that he knew nothing about Premiers at that 
stage because there were no radios, newspaper or TVs. He, however, guaranteed the little girl that she would be premier or president if she 
worked hard enough.

Among other questions that the Premier had to answer were how he coped with the demands of his job, how being a Premier affected his 
Christian faith as a reverend and whether his position was worth contesting for.

Answering the last question Rev Stofile advised the pupils to learn, learn and learn. He told them that it was important for them to 
respect their parents and other children. “When you get old, do not try to be a premier at the age of 21, try to be a good citizen and help 
those in need of help. Have children and raise them and then at the age of 50 consider being a premier or a president,” he advised. “If you 
do not do that you will not be able to look after your children and your family because as premier your time does not belong to you.”

Following the heated question and answer session, one of the pupils read a request letter that they had prepared for the Premier.

In the letter the pupils expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the Premier and parliamentarians for the good work they are doing in the 
Eastern Cape Province.

“Sir we wish to bring to your attention problems we are encountering with our studies. Since the inception of our school, our parents have 
struggled to build us ten classrooms plus four offices. Our school ends at Junior Secondary School because of lack of accommodation.

“We have no Model C High School in the whole Tsolo District. This makes us travel to Umtata or to other far distances for our high school 
education and sometimes we encounter accidents and other problems due to our travelling long distances.

“We humbly request you honourable office to assist our parents in providing us with a model C high school education at our school,” he 
read.

Rev Stofile said the Provincial Government could not build a model C high school but a high school. He promised to discuss the matter with 
the Education MEC, Mr Stone Sizani as Tsolo was far from Umtata.

The Premier thanked the learners for paying him a visit and promised them that when he visited Tsolo again he would go to their school.

Statement issued:Communications Division – Office of the Premier
 Inquiries:Mncedi Thamie Mgwigwi – (040) 639 2070

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