SADTU
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| Full name | South African Democratic Teachers Union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 6 October 1990 |
| Members | 254,000 |
| Affiliation | COSATU |
| Key people |
Magope Maphila, president Mugwena Maluleke, general secretary |
| Office location | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Country | South Africa |
| Website | www.sadtu.org.za |
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) is the largest trade union for teachers in South Africa. It is allied to the African National Congress and is an affiliate of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).
The union has rejected a proposal by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) for performance-agreement contracts for school principals, pointing out that employment contracts already outlines principals' obligations, and claiming that such performance agreements would be unfair in the light of poor resourcing and lack of skills at schools.
In 2017, the National Education Collaboration Trust began work with SADTU to improve teaching at the basic education level in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces.
In April, 2014, City Press reported that SADTU officials were running a racket, which involved accepting monetary bribes from educators in return for access to teaching or managerial positions. SADTU responded that the union was "only party to the filling of posts as observers to ensure the fairness" of the process.
The DBE subsequently set up a ministerial task team (MTT), headed by Professor John Volmink, to investigate. The MTT indicated that six provinces were affected by the racketeering: the North West, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the Eastern Cape. Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi admitted that his department was controlled by SADTU, and that the selling and buying of educational posts was "endemic". The Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga observed that the investigations implicated primarily SADTU, although other teachers unions and government officials were also involved.
The dysfunction in schools was attributed to "weak" government systems that had been "infiltrated" by a "complex patronage system". The report's conclusion was that SADTU's membership in the ANC's tripartite alliance gave it “enormous power and influence” over the education system, described the situation as “dangerous and inappropriate”, and found that it held the education system hostage to political processes.
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