National Assembly |09 August 2023
‘NIHSS students free to choose seamstresses,’ says minister
Students of the National Institute for Health and Social Studies (NIHSS) are not obliged to have their uniforms tailored by the two seamstresses recommended by the professional centre, Minister Peggy Vidot clarified yesterday.
Minister Vidot, who holds the health portfolio, explained to the National Assembly that while the institute had at some point instructed students to have uniforms tailored by two specific seamstresses based on the quality of their work, this is no longer the case. Students are free to make their own arrangements, provided the uniform is up to the required standards, she said.
The minister was responding to a Private Notice Question (PNQ) by the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Hon. Sebastien Pillay.
“This year, the school introduced a new uniform, so when students purchase the fabric, the school recommends the two seamstresses to them, for the simple reason that they have observed students encountered difficulties with uniforms not meeting the standards in the past. They have done this with good intention, so that students will not have to purchase additional fabric to fix uniforms later,” she explained.
“I do not think there is an ‘imposing’ element regarding this uniform tailoring issue. NIHSS prescribes the standard for the uniform and students are bound by the standards,” Minister Vidot stated.
She further clarified that the NIHSS has not issued any memos or formal documentation instructing parents to choose one of the two seamstresses, named as Mrs Pharce and Mrs Afif during the proceedings.
According to the minister, NIHSS has not entered into any contracts with anyone to have uniforms tailored.
In response to questions about the procurement process, Minister Vidot clarified that there was no need to launch the tender process in acquiring materials, considering that the value is under the threshold. Fabric for shirts amounted to R55,000, and the same applies to materials for skirts and the same for fabric for shorts at R55,000.
Hon. Pillay had noted there could be practices which could amount to corruption in the acquisition of the uniform fabrics.
Laura Pillay