Semi-nude teachers run amok

2005-10-30 22:17

Caiphus Kgosana

Johannesburg - A rowdy delegation of teachers paraded drunk and semi-naked through the corridors of a hotel, singing loudly and disturbing guests, while others defecated on bed linen and left used condoms lying on dressing tables, pedestals and carpets.

These allegations are contained in a strongly worded letter written by the management of City Lodge Hotels in Rustenburg to South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) general-secretary Thulas Nxesi and copied to Education Minister Naledi Pandor.

This is after a delegation of 125 Sadtu members who stayed at the hotel in Rustenburg on the weekend of August 19-20 for the annual conference of the teacher union's North West region, left guests and staff of the hotel fuming at their rowdy behaviour.

In the letter which has been leaked to City Press, Patrick Tate, operations director of City Lodge Hotels in Rustenburg, complained about the conduct of some of the Sadtu members who were staying at the hotel.

He said police had to be called in when members of the group, who checked in at his hotel on Friday, August 19, started making a noise just before midnight.

He said the Sadtu members insulted and physically manhandled one of the assistant managers who had asked them to keep their noise levels down. Tate said the police, who arrived at 03:00, managed to convince the group to keep quiet but the rowdiness resumed at 06:00 when some of the delegates began roaming the hotel's public areas dressed only in their underwear, drinking and singing loudly.

He said housekeeping staff were shocked at what they found in some of the delegates' rooms later on Saturday morning when the group left for conference.

"Upon entering some of the rooms, the housekeeping staff were met with, among others, defecated bed linen and toilet seats (and) used condoms lying on dressing tables, pedestals and carpets," wrote Tate.

Mercy Sekano, regional secretary of the Platinum region of the union, told City Press that the delegates did make a noise when they entered the hotel as they had been partying and drinking that night.

Racism

But he denied that bed linen was soiled or that used condoms were left lying in some of the rooms.

He accused the hotel management of racism.

"Some of the managers in some of these hotels are white and exaggerate things. It is their racist attitudes that are in play," he said.

Mxolisi Bomvana, Sadtu North West region chairperson, also accused hotel management of racism, saying such concerns would not have been raised if the delegation had comprised white rugby players.

"As Sadtu, we have a problem with the management of some of these hotels and maybe we need to cut ties with hotels controlled by racist managers," Bomvana said.

Education Minister Naledi Pandor's office said the minister had seen the letter and referred the complaint to Sadtu's national office.

- City Press