The Citizen reports that the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) has rejected the potential hand over of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to the Democratic Alliance (DA). Sadtu recently concluded its national executive committee (NEC) meeting, where it was resolved to reject the DA’s wish to take over the DBE ministry.

“The NEC expressed disgust at the DA’s unreasonable demands for ministerial posts and accused it of applying double standards by demanding to appoint director-generals while speaking ill of cadre deployment,” the union commented in a statement. Sadtu, which is the biggest teacher union in the country, described the DA as having no interest in issues of redress and putting forward the interests of black South Africans within education. According to the union, the DA had declared itself a “class enemy” of the union through comments made in the media that Sadtu was too strong and had to be dealt with. “The DA demanding Basic Education ministry has nothing to do with a commitment to the nation to ensure quality and equitable education but to destroy the organisation of teachers and their communities,” the union said. It went on to indicate: “The NEC resolved to fight this racist DA with everything our union has. The NEC resolved to be the vanguard of education as a potent force to empower the masses to restore the dignity of our nation, in particular, the African people. The union will mobilise the masses to unmask the stereotypes that the DA employs to justify the entrenchment of colonial education system where the poor and working class must accept inferior status.”

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Itumeleng Mafisa at The Citizen

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