SADTU opposed to DA possibly heading Basic Education Ministry
The DA's demand, per a leaked letter to the ANC, has been met with much criticism from SADTU, claiming the DA's hidden agenda is to destroy the teacher's union.
- South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU)
- African National Congress (ANC)
- Department of Basic Education (DBE)
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JOHANNESBURG - While South Africans continue to await President Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet announcement, some trade unions have not minced their words on their expectations.
The South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU) is the latest to raise frustrations over the inclusion of the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ramaphosa's soon-to-be-announced multi-party cabinet.
The union's national executive committee said it was highly opposed to a DA Member of Parliament (MP) being appointed to head the Basic Education Ministry.
In a leaked letter to the African National Congress (ANC), the DA requested to head the Basic Education portfolio, which has been occupied by the ANC's Angie Motshekga since 2009.
The party's demand has been met with much criticism from SADTU, claiming the DA's hidden agenda is to destroy the teacher's union.
SADTU spokesperson, Nomusa Cembi said while the appointment of cabinet was the president's constitutional prerogative, the union remains opposed to the inclusion of the DA.
“It’s not that they have a passion to change people's lives, we just feel that it’s a political move. They have always wanted to control education to change the narrative of the education department to suit their political agendas.”
The DA's education policy highlights the poor quality of teaching in the country as one of its major concerns.