Message of support by the Premier of Limpopo, Ambassador Chupu Mathabatha, on the occasion of the South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU) Principal Seminar, held at Great Tiro Hall of the University of Limpopo
Programme director;
General Secretary, Cde Mukwena Maluleke;
Vice President for education, Cde Veronica Hofmester Provincial Leadership of SADTU;
Leadership of COSATU and the entire Mass Democratic Movement;
Principals from our various schools organised under the revolutionary banner of SADTU and COSATU;
Invited speakers and guests; Ladies and Gentlemen:
Thank you very much for your invitation.
We are here merely to pass a message of support to this important Seminar which is organised to look into various issues affecting school managers, particularly the thorny issue of violence in our schools.
I think that it is proper to first and foremost commend the provincial leadership of SADTU who having recognised the need to summon a seminar of this nature. I know that most of the attention, both from our side as government and from your side as leaders of the trade union movement is channelled towards those who teach, little attention is given to those who manages our schools. This seminar is therefore very important.
I believe therefore that the participants, in particular our principals, would cherish this platform and use it to propose solutions to identified challenges. Although the focus of today’ seminar is on violence in our schools, I know that violence itself is an expression of the many other social ills that school principal are faced with on daily basis.
We will therefore fail to find lasting solution to the problem of violence in our schools if we do not sufficiently engage ourselves on the feeding factors to this problem. I know that some have blamed the new constitutional dispensation, particularly the abolishment of corporal punishment in schools as the reason for spiralling violence in our schools.
This argument fails to acknowledge the very fact that corporal punishment itself was a form of violence against learners. Many social scientists have correctly argued that violence gives birth to more violence. Most of you would remember that thousands of young minds had to drop out of school because of corporal punishment. In some instances, teachers who administered corporal punishment were targeted for revenge after school hours.
This is definitely not a desirable situation. It is for this reason that whatever solution we should find to school violence it should not be another form of violence.
Comrades;
Your seminar is also taking place at the time when your organisation is been tarnished by sustained negative media reports. Sometime in May I came across a newspaper headline that read that: Sadtu selling principals’ posts in exchange for cows, sheep and goats .
The other headline said: Sadtu still giving jobs to pals.
Despite the laughable nature of these stories, in their own way, these stories are calculated do a serious harm to the image of SADTU. If we allow the image of SADTU to be tainted, SADTU would cease to be a union of choice for South African educators. If SADTU ceases to be a union of choice for educators, your numbers will dwindle, and some reactionary unions will occupy the space you are currently occupying.
The result of this is that a progressive voice in the teacher union sector would be minimised if not silenced. Reactionary or reformist policies will be advanced by those who would have gained a stronger voice. In the end, thousands of teachers will be negatively affected.
So, the best service you can ever give to your members is to guard and protect the image of SADTU at all cost. Expose those who are paid to tarnish the image of your organisation and deal harshly with those who use the name of SADTU in a manner that exposes SADTU to this sort of vulnerability. As Principals, you must know that the best way to protect your comrades is to force them to do correct things. You must never tolerate anyone to hide behind the membership of SADTU while neglecting his or her responsibilities to the school and the learners.
You must insist that your SADTU comrades who are teachers in your schools must always lead by example. SADTU comrades must be the envy of everyone at school.
Comrades, Your seminar is also taking place just a few days after I announce some few changes in the provincial executive. Of interest to you as educators is the fact that we have now filled the vacancy that occurred after the passing on of the late Cde Thembi Nwedamutswu who was our MEC for Education.
We have since deployed Cde Ishmael Kgetjepe as the new MEC for education in our province. Part of his mandate is to ensure better working relations between the department and labour.
I have full confidence in Cde Ishmael; he is not only a seasoned politician but a teacher himself. He does not read about your challenges, he has firsthand experience. I appeal to you to work with him and the rest of his team towards the realisation of our education outcomes.
Programme Director;
As I conclude, I wish to reassure our principals that your challenges are not unknown to us. We are happy that you are gathered in this fashion to find solutions to the thorny issues you face on daily basis. We are certainly looking forward to the resolutions and recommendations you will adopt in this meeting.
Amandla!
