Congress of the People (COPE) has joined voices of concerned citizens and civil organisations in condemning what they termed an “alarming trend” of corporate branding infiltrating school classrooms, following the government’s decision to roll out desks that convert into a school bag in the Eastern Cape.

Last week, the Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, announced that McDonald’s donated foldable plastic desks to Grade 1 learners.

The desks are meant to ease learners’ daily stress of worrying about whether there will be chairs and desks available for them at school.

About five schools in the province’s rural areas have benefited through a donation of modern foldable desks.

In a statement, COPE said this move represented a dangerous compromise of children's rights and a betrayal of the state's constitutional duty to protect and uplift the most vulnerable.

“South Africa's children are not billboards for junk food corporations.

At a time when our nation grapples with an obesity epidemic and rising non-communicable diseases, disproportionately affecting working-class and rural black communities, this partnership exposes children to predatory marketing of high-fat, sugar, and salt foods,” it said.

COPE rejected the “cynical ploy” by McDonald's, which masqueraded as charity while profiting from the health crisis it helps perpetuate, saying children deserve better than to be pawns in a corporate game.

“This incident lays bare the failures of austerity and government neglect. The underfunding of education has created a vacuum that corporations like McDonald's, Old Mutual, and Hollywood Bets exploit for branding opportunities,” COPE said.

The political party asserted that education is a public good, not a marketplace for private interests.

COPE called on the government to immediately recall these branded desks and for the state to provide dignified learning conditions without corporate strings attached.

It also demanded accountability from Gwarube as well as the department.

Furthermore, COPE urged the National Treasury to reverse the disinvestment in education and ensure every child had access to a safe, healthy, and exploitation-free learning environment.

It said, “South Africa's future depends on a government that serves its people, not sells them out.”

The likes of Mmusi Maimane and other prominent people have also condemned the department on the move.

Meanwhile, Gwarube defended the government’s decision and said the desks were good for the children as approved by UNESCO.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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