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🇿🇦 South Africa /Culture & Society

LIGHTHOUSE SAGA: Probe clears publisher at centre of DBE textbook catalogue row

From Daily Maverick · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • An independent investigation commissioned by South Africa’s Department of Basic Education found no evidence of fraud, favouritism, manipulation or evaluation irregularities involving Lighthouse Publishers.
  • The investigation recommended that the small publisher retain its share of the new Foundation Phase textbook catalogue.
  • Lighthouse director Georgia Groome said the company had not received the department’s communication about the outcome.

Lighthouse Publishers has been cleared of wrongdoing in the textbook catalogue controversy that triggered one of South Africa’s sharpest recent education disputes.

The finding came in a presentation by Department of Basic Education Director-General Mathanzima Mweli to school governing body associations and unions on Thursday. The investigation, conducted by Rakoma and Associates, examined allegations surrounding Lighthouse’s inclusion in the new Foundation Phase textbook catalogue.

No evidence of fraud, favouritism, manipulation or evaluation irregularities was identified. The investigation found that all allegations relating to Lighthouse Publishers were not substantiated.

· Rakoma and Associates investigationThe independent investigation’s finding on Lighthouse Publishers was recorded in the department’s presentation.

Under the heading “Investigation Findings on Lighthouse Publishers”, the presentation said: “No evidence of fraud, favouritism, manipulation or evaluation irregularities was identified. The investigation found that all allegations relating to Lighthouse Publishers were not substantiated.” The independent report concluded that Lighthouse should keep its share of the catalogue.

Georgia Groome, Lighthouse’s director, said the company had supplied information to investigators after being interviewed but had not been told the outcome by the department. “We have received no communication from the DBE,” she said.

The wider catalogue process also received support from an Auditor-General of South Africa audit opinion and two legal opinions, one from the department’s internal legal services and another from senior counsel Chris Erasmus. The presentation said those assessments substantially upheld the process’s fairness and legality.

We have received no communication from the DBE.

· Georgia GroomeThe Lighthouse director said the company had not been informed of the investigation outcome.

The controversy began after the new catalogue was announced in April. Provincial education authorities were expected to order books for the 2027 school year, and the catalogue had not been updated for 14 years. A News24 report on April 28 questioned why Lighthouse, a small company with no publishing history, had received a large share of a reported R1.6 billion publishing tender while established and multinational publishers lost out.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said she viewed the report with serious concern and asked National Treasury to investigate. Further News24 reports questioned Lighthouse’s tax and BBBEE status. The department’s presentation now says the allegations against the publisher were unsubstantiated.

with serious concern

· Siviwe GwarubeThe basic education minister described her response to the initial report questioning Lighthouse’s catalogue allocation.
About this summary

Originally published by Daily Maverick. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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