Sadtu members have been on a national go-slow since pupils returned from the Easter holiday. (Oupa Nkosi, M&G)
"The marches are meant to increase the pressure on Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and her director general Bobby Soobrayan to resign from their … positions, in defence of collective bargaining and promotion of quality public education," stated a South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) statement.
The Mail & Guardian on Tuesday reported that implacable distrust within the union about Soobrayan's controversial role in the awarding of tenders to print and deliver schoolbooks was powering the protests, that included a strike in Durban last week.
The strikes are already damaging grade 12 pupils' matric preparations.
The dispute over payment for matric markers, which the union has routinely cited in its hunt for the heads of Soobrayan and Angie Motshekga, was the part of a deeper campaign, union leaders said this week.
Sadtu's Limpopo secretary, Matome Raphasha, said Soobrayan's trustworthiness regarding tenders was questionable and the issue had become acutely worrying in the light of the ANC's plans to centralise textbook procurement processes in Pretoria.
Twenty police vehicles were deployed
Meanwhile, more than 20 police vehicles were deployed to an open space in Marabastad on Wednesday, on the outskirts of Pretoria, ahead of the planned march to the Union Buildings.
Two Nyalas, with flashing lights, arrived at the scene shortly before 9am. The police were joined by a smaller group of Tshwane metro police officers.
Three ambulances and other emergency services vehicles were also on the scene. Members of Sadtu braved cold weather to converge at the old Putco depot in Marabastad.
They are taking part in a national strike organised by the disgruntled union.
Four buses delivered protesters to an open space between Bloed and Struben streets by 10am.
A public address system was set up in a truck next to the buses. To stave off the morning cold, some police and protesters made a quick detour to buy coffee.
Cosatu to lead marches
Congress of South African Trade Unions president S'dumo Dlamini would lead the march in Pretoria, and his second deputy Zingiswa Losi the march in Cape Town.
On Monday, the basic education department and Sadtu failed to agree on whether the marches were legal or not.
In Pretoria, the marchers are expected to proceed along Cowie, Struben and Nelson Mandela streets to the Union Buildings.
In Cape Town, the marchers would gather at 10.30am in Keizergracht and move along Darling, Adderley, Spin, and Plein streets to Parliament.
Sadtu members have been on a national go-slow since pupils returned from the Easter holiday.
The department of basic education said teachers who joined the protest would face disciplinary action and that the rule of no work, no pay would apply. – Sapa/p>