DA’s rights complaint ‘politically motivated’

SADTU has accused the DA of political campaigning after the party laid a complaint against the union with the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said the DA was merely electioneering and should focus on getting its facts straight.

At a media conference yesterday, DA leader Mmusi Maimane said children’s constitutional right to basic education was being undermined by Sadtu.

“Sadtu is holding our education system hostage and thwarting the delivery of quality education, jeopardising the future of our children,” Maimane said.

Sadtu’s “strong-arm” tactics had succeeded in having Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga postpone the Annual National Assessments (ANAs), he added.

“The minister has since reclaimed her leadership prerogative, which we welcome.”

The tests, which assess pupils’ numeracy and literacy skills, were scheduled to be written earlier this month, but after opposition from unions, the Department of Basic Education announced that they would be written in February.

But last week, the minister announced that they would now be written in December.

Annette Lovemore, the DA’s spokeswoman on basic education, said there had been a slew of actions by Sadtu that undermined children’s right to basic education.

This included that the union had “stone-walled the implementation of processes and interventions” aimed at improving the quality of education, including boycotting the ANAs and its opposition to competency tests for matric exam markers.

Lovemore said Sadtu had reduced effective teaching hours through “unlawful strike action” and was widely alleged to be interfering in the management of the education system.

The DA would ask the SAHRC to produce a report on “the extent to which Sadtu is responsible for the violation of learners’ rights” and recommend that the union desist from any behaviour that violates pupils’ rights.

It would also request that the SAHRC make recommendations to the president and the basic education minister on “mechanisms to effectively prevent Sadtu from continuing to violate the rights of learners”.

SAHRC spokesman Isaac Mangena confirmed that the DA had requested it to investigate Sadtu’s conduct.