SA Human Rights Commission agrees to DA’s request to investigate SADTU

11 May 2017

The DA has been informed that the South African Human Rights Commission is investigating the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) for its role in denying children the right to a basic education.

This follows the DA’s complaint to the Human Rights Commission in September 2015.

We specifically asked the Human Rights Commission to investigate the following:

- SADTU’s blocking of measures to hold educators accountable for poor performance - including regular assessments, competency tests and performance agreements for Principals.

- SADTU’s neglect of teaching and learning while engaged in various unlawful protests and strikes.

- SADTU’s unlawful interference and corruption in the appointment of teachers and principals as exemplified by the ‘Jobs for Cash’ scandal.

It is the DA’s view that SADTU’s conduct violates the constitutional rights of learners across the country to a basic education, as well as the constitutional imperative that, in all matters concerning the child, “a child’s best interests are paramount”.

The DA, therefore, welcomes the willingness of the Human Rights Commission to investigate.

We are in the process of making detailed submissions to the Human Rights Commission to highlight the extent of SADTU’s toxic influence on our education system. We call on various stakeholders, including Minister Motshekga, the MECs in the various provinces and SADTU itself to co-operate fully with the investigation.

It is a tragedy that two decades after the end of apartheid the majority of our children are still prevented from receiving the quality education they deserve.

We need to remove all impediments that prevent our children from escaping poverty, and this means holding SADTU bosses accountable for their role in denying children a right to a quality basic education.

Issued by Gavin Davis, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, 11 May 2017