News24 | Textbook U-turn: Provinces cleared to buy from catalogue that Gwarube suspended

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube.

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In a dramatic twist, the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) has given the green light for provinces and schools to purchase learning materials from the new Foundation Phase National Catalogue, despite Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube’s 2 September decision to suspend its implementation.

Ironically, Gwarube chairs the CEM, the highest decision-making body within the basic education sector, which includes her, the deputy minister of basic education, Reginah Mhaule, and the education MECs of the nine provinces.

The department’s director-general, Mathanzima Mweli, informed Mpuka Radinku, executive director of the Publishers’ Association of South Africa, in writing that the Grade 1-3 national catalogue was tabled for discussion at the CEM meeting on Friday.

“In line with the decision of CEM, which supports the decision taken by Hedcom [heads of education departments committee] on 2 and 4 September, this correspondence serves to inform you that procurement of material from the 2026 Foundation Phase National Catalogue will commence, and this has been communicated to provincial education departments.”

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