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The Eastern Cape Department of Education is in the process of retrieving thousands of tablets issued to matric learners last year.
In October 2020, the more than 50 000 devices were supposed to be recalled after the High Court issued an interdict for the contract with the supplier to be halted.
This, to allow for a review of the procurement process that awarded the contract to the Sizwe Africa IT group.
Education MEC, Fundile Gade, in response to a parliamentary question in February said, the department only started recalling tablets in December as schools were in a critical time preparing for the 2020 Matric final exams at the time the interdict was issued.
Department spokesperson, Mali Mtima, says the department is unable to further comment as the matter is before the courts.
Meanwhile, DA MPL, Yusuf Cassim says the tablets should have been retrieved from learners in October last year, following the court interdict, when the learners were still at school, but now they have created a mess.
"The Department is now threatening learners who have missed the mid-April cut-off date with instituting criminal procedures against them if they have not returned their tablets," he said.
