Last week the Western Cape MEC for education Debbie Schäfer resigned after serving eight years in this position.
Schäfer announced the news with premier Alan Winde last Thursday afternoon (21 April) in a joint press release. She will be moving to the United Kingdom where she has accepted a job in the legal sector.
“I have been in politics now for twenty years, serving in all three spheres of government. I believe I have made valuable contributions in each. It has been my great privilege to have served as Provincial Minister of Education in the Western Cape government for the last eight years. I believe I have left the department in a better place than I found it, and am proud of the work that we have, together, achieved.”
Winde has also praised Schäfer for the work that she has done during her time as MEC in the province. He thanked her for her services and the role that she played in the Western Cape’s education system.
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Debbie for her excellent service to the people of the Western Cape, especially our province’s children. Anyone who knows Debbie knows that she is a strong and tenacious leader, who fights hard each and every day to ensure a well-run, quality focused education system in the Western Cape.”
On Friday Winde announced the changes in the Western Cape provincial cabinet, and who will be appointed in Schäfer’s place. This position will be taken over by David Maynier on 15 May, who was the MEC for finance and economic opportunities. “He therefore has a first-hand understanding of the major unemployment challenge that our country faces, especially among our youth, as well as the very serious fiscal challenges that impact our core mandates, including education.”
