TWO teachers who allegedly incited pupils to bunk school and join a community protest march last month have been given two weeks to motivate why their suspension should be lifted.
There was no schooling at three schools in the Bushbuckridge area in Northern Province when pupils supported community protests against the Bushbuckridge local council between May 17 and 19.
The provincial education department suspended the teachers last week after they allegedly distributed pamphlets encouraging pupils to join the protest that was organised by the local branch of the Pan Africanist Congress.
Mafasi Motlabine, a teacher at Makata High in Castile, and Meshack Zwane from Zwide Primary School in Mhala, have two weeks to respond.
Provincial education department chief director, Rally Sekole, confirmed the suspension on Monday.
Sekole said an internal investigation had been launched to formulate charges against the teachers before they appear before a disciplinary tribunal.
Department spokesman Bernard Matsane said it was a common for schools to be disrupted when political parties prepared for elections.
Matsane said the local government elections were pending and parties were targeting pupils to “beef-up their chances of becoming councillors in their towns”.
He added the department was also investigating and monitoring other schools where disruptions were reported.
— African Eye News Service, June 6, 2000.