ANC provincial heavyweights in Gauteng have taken a hard line on alliance partner South African Democratic Teacher’s Union (Sadtu) over the disruption of schooling in Soweto, which reflects President Jacob Zuma’s recent pronouncements on industrial action.
Brian Hlongwa, ANC provincial chief whip, Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane and the province’s new education minister, Barbara Creecy, have all condemned striking members of the teachers’ union. Creecy won a court interdict last week barring Sadtu from continuing its illegal strike.
In a public meeting convened by Mokonyane, parents (through their school governing bodies) Sadtu’s national president, Thobile Ntola, and its Gauteng secretary, Sello Tshabalala, also roasted teachers for their actions which have interrupted mid-year examinations at the affected schools.
Creecy told the Teacher this week: “We’ve made it clear to all the striking teachers that they should return to classes. The premier has made it clear that we have an interdict in place to enforce this. The president of Sadtu, Thobile Ntola, has also made a powerful political statement condemning the disruptions and recommitted his union to the principles of the national quality learning and teaching campaign.”
Political commentator Aubrey Matshiqi said a trend could be emerging, led by Zuma.
“Zuma set the tone in his state of the nation address where he called on teachers to be at school on time and teach. This sets the tone for ministers to be tough with educators who shirk their responsibilities,” said Mashiqi.
Sadtu’s Soweto branch has a longstanding reputation for militancy. Last year it threatened to put a “violent stop” to the Gauteng education department’s practice of calling members to after-hours meetings, and this year it called political meetings during school hours to campaign for Zuma.
There was not a peep from politicians at the time, but this changed three weeks ago when Sadtu violently halted learning in Soweto in protest against a delay in filling vacancies for senior staff at three schools.