SADTU condemns the running of internal processes through media
SADTU has expressed shock and disgust that an Eastern Cape newspaper has been given information about the date for the hearing of suspended president, Comrade Thobile Ntola. The leadership received queries from a journalist from Dispatch newspaper this morning asking the union to confirm that the hearing would be held on Monday, 31 March as well as the number of charges.
Taking internal union matters to the media shows lack of organisational discipline. The union condemns this foreign tendency of running its internal affairs through media just because some individuals are bigger than the organisation.
SADTU has acted with utmost discipline to respect the Union's internal processes as provided for in the constitution even though this has come at a cost as people, some members and obviously some members of other members have bought into the lies being peddled in the media by those sowing divisions amongst members.
The Union believes that all parties must be treated with respect and integrity. This principled position of the Union is imposed on Section 7.8 of our constitution which states;"all members, including Office Bearers, shall be subject to the SADTU Code of Discipline, which shall be determined by the NEC from time to time, and also to any disciplinary processes or sanctions defined in such Code". This is the same process that was followed with other members and leaders who flouted the constitution and policies of the union. We will not apply the Animal Farm principle of some animals being more equal than the others.
No one is above the constitution; all SADTU members and leaders are equal. Members and leaders must go to the hearings and clear their names instead of playing victim to the gallery
The National General Council resolved that internal processes run their course without any interference from anyone. No amount of lies and slander will change the Union tradition of respecting its constitution.
To avoid further lies and slander, we can therefore confirm that indeed the hearing, as an internal process, is taking place on Monday, 31 March 2014.
Statement issued by SADTU, March 28 2014
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