Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube has defended the multi-functional branded foldable desks which were recently donated to a Cape Town public school. The branded desks, which were donated by fast-food restaurant company McDonald’s, received severe criticism from many.
The minister shared the handover of the desks, which were donated to Grade 1 learners at St Paul’s Primary School in Bo Kaap on the 24 of February, on her social media.
Today, I handed over Mi Desks to Grade 1 learners at St Paul’s Primary school in Bo Kaap, thanks to a generous donation from @McDonalds. @MiDeskGlobal manufactures wheelie school bags that transform into a fully functional desk and chair, easy for learners to use both at home… pic.twitter.com/ch4cv488QE
— Siviwe Gwarube (@Siviwe_G) February 24, 2025
Following the handover, many civil organisations and social media users criticised the big branding on the desks and accused the department of using learners as billboards for corporate companies. When questioned about the matter in parliament earlier this week, Gwarube said the department is left with no choice but to accept all the help it can get due to its budget constraints.
The design serves as a wheelie school bag, desk, chair, solar light, and USB charging port. Gwarube said that the initiative is part of efforts to tackle infrastructure challenges in rural schools, ensuring that learners have access to functional and adaptable learning tools.
“The 13.5 million learners and the 24,000 schools and the kind of budget that we have in the system, we simply cannot meet the demand. Therefore, we have to partner with private partners.”
While addressing members of the National Assembly on Tuesday, Gwarube did however agree with the criticism of how some corporate partners advertise with products at schools.
The basic education sector is reeling from budget constraints. In this climate corporate partnerships are critical in serving our 13.5 million learners across the country; regardless of where they come from.
However, in partnering with corporates; we must implement measures to… pic.twitter.com/3vrkqvWIsn
— Siviwe Gwarube (@Siviwe_G) March 4, 2025
The minister has also noted that a policy must be implemented that says how the department manages the kind of branding and advertisements that happen in schools in a way that doesn’t harm the learners.
Gwarube added that the future of partnerships is here as the government cannot meet the demand of schools and learners for support materials like school desks.
READ MORE: WCED: 2026 school applications for Grades R, 1 & 8 almost open
