News24 reports that the SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) and Cosatu in the Western Cape vowed on Tuesday to keep education MEC Debbie Schäfer and the provincial head of education "personally accountable for any flouting of health and safety regulation in this province".  

Indicating that they rejected “the notion of a Republic of the Western Cape" after schooling resumed in the province on Monday but not in the rest of the country, the organisations said they would not hesitate to lay criminal charges should staff or children be infected by Covid-19.  “We support parents who have taken the conscious decision, in the interest of their children's safety, not to send their children to school on 1 June and salute our members who have been resolute in their stance on health and safety in our schools," Sadtu and Cosatu indicated in a statement.  On Tuesday, Schäfer responded "I am not going to" when asked if she would close schools in the province to keep them in line with the rest of the country.  She said her mandate was “to make sure that children are educated".

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tammy Petersen at News24
• Read too, Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi scolds Western Cape for reopening schools, on page 4 of The Star of 3 June 2020

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