Competition Commission and schools reach agreement on uniforms

Competition commissioner Tembinkosi Bonakele will on Monday morning sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with school governing bodies to strengthen regulations on the procurement of school uniforms and other learning-related goods and services.

This comes after years of investigations and advocacy following complaints received from parents who were forced to buy school uniforms from exclusive selected suppliers.

Minister of basic education Angie Motshekga will deliver a key note address at the virtual event. 

The commission said the signing of the MoU marks a new era in the strengthening of competition policy on regulation of the procurement of school uniforms. 

Competition Commission spokesperson Siyabulela Makunga said that in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, the commission witnessed an escalation of complaints with pupils having to wear school branded or purchase brand specific Covid-19 related items. 

Makunga said these included face masks, hand sanitisers, technological gadgets for e-learning purposes and other items. 

"In light of these developments, the commission and the department issued a joint circular on guidelines on the procurement of school uniform and other learning-related goods and services. Many schools have started to implement the guidelines since the first publication in 2015 and have identified items such as school ties, blazers and caps," he said. 

The commission has also concluded settlement agreements with ADvTech group, St Andrew's School for Girls, Curro Schools as well as with Grit Procurement and McCullagh & Bothwell which are the largest manufacturers and suppliers of school uniforms. 

Makunga said in engaging on the settlement agreements the commission's main objective was to bring about change to the practices inherent in the supply of school uniform by soliciting firm commitments from the schools and the suppliers to change their future conduct.