DA lays charges against Sadtu
2010-08-26 21:46
Johannesburg - The Democratic Alliance laid charges of intimidation and violence against two SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) officials on Thursday.
"At a meeting of Sadtu members in Soweto on Tuesday, the union's regional chairperson Moses Senye and regional general Secretary Ronald Nyathi urged members to disrupt schools which were not on strike," charged DA spokesperson James Lorimer.
"They said they would target schools in three areas and implied violence would be used to shut them down.
"I laid charges of incitement to violence and intimidation, against Mr Senye and Mr Nyathi, at the Parkview Police Station in Johannesburg, and was issued with the case number CAS-429/8/2010."
Lorimer said that after the statements were made, three schools not on strike closed, "one after violent disruption, and the other two out of fear of violence".
He said he visited nine schools in Johannesburg on Thursday morning.
Of these, five were completely closed and one was partially operating.
In most cases, schools had closed out of fear of violence and many schools had received telephonic threats from striking workers, he said.
"Even operating schools are nervous. Parents, teachers and pupils are stressed and education is being disrupted.
"Teachers have a legal right to strike, but not to interfere with those who do not wish to join them," said Lorimer.
- SAPA
