THE DA has threatened to lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Commission (HRC) against the South African Democratic Teachers' Union in the Eastern Cape.

In a statement, the DA's shadow minister for Basic Education Annette Lovemore said the union (Sadtu) was violating the constitutional rights of thousands of pupils in the province.

"There are other ways that they can raise their matters, but not by depriving children of their right to education," she said.

Late yesterday, Lovemore was busy finalising the complaint. She stressed the party did not feel Sadtu members were wrong to demand the dismissal of superintendent-general Modidima Mannya, but that the union's conduct was not going to assist children who wanted to study.

DA provincial spokesman Edmund van Vuuren said they wanted to take the matter further to ensure that Eastern Cape premier Noxolo Kiviet and education MEC Mandla Makupula were held accountable for Sadtu's actions.

"They have failed to resolve this and allowed Sadtu to continue depriving children of their right to education. This matter will be taken further with the HRC to ensure that they account for what Sadtu is doing," Van Vuuren said.

Sadtu and Cosatu want Mannya to be dismissed, temporary teachers re-instated and redeployment stopped. However, government is refusing to act on the issue.