Union heads to court over ‘immature’ reopening of schools
The Educators Union of South Africa (EUSA) has vowed to forge ahead with its court action against the Department of Basic Education.
The union, which represents over 27 000 teachers, wants to interdict what it has labelled as the “immature" reopening of schools in the country.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced on Sunday that the reopening of schools has been postponed by a week due to fact that many schools do not have adequate water, sanitation or protective gear.
EUSA president Scelo Bhengu says the application will be heard in the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday morning.
"We are demanding that before the reopening of schools, all teachers learners and support staff must be tested before the schools reopen and all those who test positive to be isolated at home with teachers and other staff on full salary.
“We demand an adequate supply of personal protective equipment and hygienic products in all institutions of learning.”
Bhengu doesn’t believe the postponement allows for enough time for the department to get its house in order.
"We believe two months will be enough for the schools to be prepared and all tests are done before the reopening. We are proposing that September can be a good time to reopen schools," he says.
EUSA has also written to President Cyril Ramaphosa, asking him to remove Angie Motshekga as Minister of Basic Education.
"She has proven over a period of time to be incompetent of leading the most serious department in the country. We are going to pressure on this call until the president lends us an ear."
ALSO READ
We told minister schools are not ready - unions
On Monday, Motshekga confirmed that schools would only reopen in a week's time. "Had the minister made this announcement yesterday, we may have been a little bit more excited about it in fact what the minister told us, we all knew already," said Naptosa president Basil Manuel.