The Eastern Cape Department of Education has no choice but to seek the help of the courts if it wants schooling for the 2012 academic year to get going in this province.
I agree that a complaint should be registered against Sadtu with the South African Human Rights Commission, but the investigation may be time consuming with no immediate resolution for the impasse.
I would strongly suggest that the MEC for Education, Mandla Makupula, and his Superintendent-General, Adv. Modidima Mannya,on behalf of the provincial Department of Education, seek an urgent High Court interdict to compel Sadtu to adhere to the 2012 post provisioning and to prevent them from further destabilising the education system in the Eastern Cape.
Currently Sadtu is preventing additional teachers to take up their re-assigned posts and/or ignoring assumption of duty letters. Up to date only 1 220 out of 6 700 additional teachers have been placed at new work stations.
Sadtu is also threatening officials at the 23 district offices to vacate the premises and had been successful in most instances.
Today they intend to disrupt the Education Head office in Zwelitsha. Based on the above, I am of the opinion that a High Court interdict is the most effective route to address these ills.
Edmund van Vuuren, MPL
