– DA condemns SADTU protest action which is destabilising education in KZN
– DA calls on MEC to urgently brief KZN’s Education portfolio committee on outcomes
The DA in KwaZulu Natal (KZN) strongly condemns ongoing protest action by the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU), which has resulted in district offices being blockaded and serious disruptions to the 2025 mid-year examinations.
While some of SADTU’s criticisms of KZN’s Department of Education (DoE) may hold merit, their chosen method of protest is reckless and deeply irresponsible. It is our learners – particularly those in critical academic years – who are once again paying the ultimate price for this conflict.
The current disruptions are not only destabilising the mid-year examination process – they are also jeopardising our province’s readiness for the 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams. Learning time lost during this critical period is irretrievable and will have lasting consequences on our children’s performance and future opportunities.
The DA calls on KZN Education MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, to:
1. Urgently intervene to ensure the immediate restoration of stability in schools and district offices
2. Brief the KZN Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Education on:
o The current impact of the SADTU protest on mid year examinations
o The Department’s contingency plans to safeguard learning and preserve exam integrity and;
o The overall state of readiness for the 2025 matric exams, including any mitigation measures in place.
SADTU’s continued disruption of our education system – compounded by the department’s inadequate leadership and lack of proactive planning – is eroding the foundations the our children’s futures.
As part of KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA remains committed to ensuring a professional, learner centred education system where learners’ needs are always prioritised.