DURBAN - The DA has called on the Department of Education to refer schools that are allegedly forcing parents to purchase stationery from specific suppliers to the Competition Commission for investigation.
The party’s education portfolio committee member, Dr Imran Keeka, told the Daily News on Wednesday that the alleged practice amounted to collusion and uncompetitive behaviour which needed to be investigated by the Competition Commission.
Keeka was reacting to the allegations raised by a Pinetown Junior Primary school parent who said the school was forcing parents to purchase stationery from Waltons only.
The parent, who could not be named to protect the child, said the school does not give parents the list of stationery to be bought but gives a letter informing them to go and purchase stationery from Waltons.
She said the letter has banking details of the bookseller and the price of the stationery, but when they asked for the list the school refused.
“When I asked for a stationery list last year, I was not given any form of list. My husband even phoned Waltons in Pinetown to ask if we could get the stationery list, he was told that the school would give him a letter and we will take that letter to them.
“He asked if they could tell him what stationery we would need and they said they could not tell him what the stationary list is. I have just spoken to my husband now, and I still do not know what stationery my son requires for Grade 2,” said the parent on Wednesday.
The parent added that in the letter she was given, the stationery cost was R1 449.50, but the quote she had received from other stationery suppliers for Grade 2 pupils was R700. She said as a result, her child had not been placed at the school since she could not afford to buy from Waltons.
She added that for Grade 1 last year she paid R1 500 for the stationery and now she could no longer afford this prize and wanted to go and buy from a cheaper supplier, but the school was not giving her the stationery list.
Keeka said the same parent had first raised the issue with him and he informed the department to intervene, but nothing to date had been done.
He added that the behaviour must be reported to the Competition Commission for the investigations.
Speaking on behalf of the school, Gugulethu Mkhungo defended the school’s decision, saying it negotiated for a discount with Waltons which was why it encouraged parents to use that specific bookseller.
She denied that parents were being coerced or forced to buy from Waltons and said any parent who asked for a stationery list was given one, to buy from the shop of her choice.
“It’s not true that we force parents to buy from Waltons,” said Mkhungo.
Education spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa said the department would investigate the allegations against the school.
Waltons had not commented by time of publication on Wednesday.
Daily News