The South African Teachers Union (Sadtu) handed over their memorandum of demands to the Presidency at the Union Buildings today. Up to 15 000 teachers belonging to the union marched from Marabastad to the Union Buildings as part of their rolling industrial campaign to have Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and department's director-general Soobrayan sacked.
Cosatu leaders Zwelinzima Vavi and Sdumo Dlamini, respectively secretary general and president, were part of the march. This was their first public show of solidarity for Sadtu's campaign since it started with pickets in February.
Zuma has until mid-May to fire the two from the Department of Basic Education, Sadtu deputy general secretary Nkosana Dolopi told the teachers when reading the union's memorandum. "We're giving Zuma 21 days to respond," Dolopi said – failure to which will lead to the union's national executive committee to "decide to intensify this action to a full-blown industrial strike".
Bernadette Leon, head of Presidential Frontline Service Delivery Monitoring at the Presidency, accepted the memorandum. "The Presidency accepts your memorandum and we'll respond in due course."
Such a strike will throw education in the country's public schools into disarray as about 70% of teachers belong to Sadtu. Even today's march crippled these schools as many were closed and children ordered to return home.
Union demands
The union's chief gripe is that the department withdrew an agreement that would result in 100% remuneration hikes for examination paper markers.
Soobrayan signed the agreement in the chambers in 2011, but the department resisted enforcing it, citing lack of funds. Motshekga went on to withdraw the agreement in February this year, much to the ire of the Cosatu-aligned union. Sadtu started calling for her resignation after this decision.
The matter over the status of the agreement is now before the Labour Court and will be heard in August. "Bobby was not drunk when he signed that agreement. He was not forced or coerced to sign it," Dolopi said.
Cosatu's Dlamini, who is also a member of the ANC national executive committee, called on Zuma to fire Motshekga on his capacity as president of the ruling party and head of state. "We're saying the president of the ANC, the state president who appoints ministers, must recall this minister," he said.
"President we're tired of making this call [for Motshekga's axing] everyday." Zuma must also fire Soobrayan because he appointed him, Dlamini said.
"The education of our children cannot be held to ransom by these two individuals." Motshekga was an obstacle in improving basic education, Dlamini said. "[We're saying to] that minister, Angie Motshekga, we want to move forward in transforming education. She's not fitting the bill."
'Oil onto fire'
Dlamini warned Motshekga against taking action against any of the thousands of teachers who marched. "The minister must even think of that. Already there's fire. Don't pour oil onto fire," he said.
The South African Students Congress (Sasco) and the Young Communist League also turned out to show support for Sadtu. "Away with the dictatorship of the employer, away," Sasco's secretary Themba Masondo howled from the makeshift stage.
Masondo told the teachers Sasco share their gripe that the department undermined them by withdrawing from a collective agreement. "We came to pledge our solidarity with you on behalf of all students in our universities and colleges. We can't stand by when teachers' rights are being violated. Teachers want to be respected in the same way Bobby and Angie want to be respected," he said.