Teachers’ March Disrupts Schooling in Free State

Hundreds of South African Democratic Teachers Union members march to hand over a memorandum to the Thabo Mofutsanyana district education department.

Schooling was disrupted in Thabo Mofutsanaya District Municipality, Free State, when hundreds of South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) members took to the streets on Thursday.

SADTU is demanding that Lindiwe Mabaso, the district director, resign, saying their relationship has broken down irreparably. They say a litany of grievances raised in 2022 have not been addressed.

The seven-page memorandum takes aim at officials of the department, alleges poor management, a “lack of leadership” and a dysfunctional human resources department. The union also alleges that SADTU principals are targeted and “union bashing persists”.

“Filling of posts is a challenge because of rigid interest by the district director and officials,” the memo reads.

Bricks Moloi, SADTU provincial secretary, said there were currently 70 vacant posts. (GroundUp was unable to verify this and other claims as Haward Ndaba, Free State education spokesperson, did not respond to us.)

“The working conditions in which our members are working are not healthy. In some schools you find that there is no water and they have to use dirty toilets … But when you go to the district office you find that they knock off at 10am because they don’t have water, yet we have to work under the same conditions.”

“If we don’t get positive answers within 14 days we will invite all teachers in the province for a strike,” he said.

Tsoarelo Malakoane, the provincial head of department, received the memorandum on behalf of the MEC.

“I will hand it over to the MEC and surely escalate it to the Premier,” he said.

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