THE South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) has added its voice in support of Cosatu rejecting the Protection of Information Bill.
South Africa's largest teacher's union held its national general council this weekend and also rejected the Teacher Performance Appraisals "in its current form".
Sadtu does not want the performance of pupils to be included as part of appraising teachers. The union said it would refer the matter to the Policy Conference on Labour and Education to be held before the end of March.
On the issue of the controversial bill, commonly known as the Secrecy Bill, Sadtu president Thobile Ntola said: "It is not only protecting state security, it is also protecting people who do not want things publicised.
"The majority is not always right. The majority can be totally wrong. If 99% vote for something and only one person fights with an opposing view ... when your children ask years from now how the vote went and you says one imbecile voted the other way.
"Your children could say: but no, that one imbecile was correct."
Sadtu declared that it "supports the disciplinary action taken by the ANC against the ANC Youth League leadership ... and support the resolution of the ANC NGC on organisational discipline in defence of the unity and cohesion of the ANC".
But Ntola told delegates: "There are people who think they are revolutionary by abusing power, taking people to DC ... leaders must be able to rise above themselves. They cannot do things because they want positions. We must have respect for individual's differing and deviating views and opinions in the structures of our organisations.
"We must respect freedom of expression. The question in the organisation is not about different views, its about expressing them outside," said Ntola, who urged members to discuss internally and "adhere to decisions".
Teachers: No to Info Bill
THE South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) has added its voice in support of Cosatu rejecting the Protection of Information Bill.
South Africa's largest teacher's union held its national general council this weekend and also rejected the Teacher Performance Appraisals "in its current form".
Sadtu does not want the performance of pupils to be included as part of appraising teachers. The union said it would refer the matter to the Policy Conference on Labour and Education to be held before the end of March.
On the issue of the controversial bill, commonly known as the Secrecy Bill, Sadtu president Thobile Ntola said: "It is not only protecting state security, it is also protecting people who do not want things publicised.
"The majority is not always right. The majority can be totally wrong. If 99% vote for something and only one person fights with an opposing view ... when your children ask years from now how the vote went and you says one imbecile voted the other way.
"Your children could say: but no, that one imbecile was correct."
Sadtu declared that it "supports the disciplinary action taken by the ANC against the ANC Youth League leadership ... and support the resolution of the ANC NGC on organisational discipline in defence of the unity and cohesion of the ANC".
But Ntola told delegates: "There are people who think they are revolutionary by abusing power, taking people to DC ... leaders must be able to rise above themselves. They cannot do things because they want positions. We must have respect for individual's differing and deviating views and opinions in the structures of our organisations.
"We must respect freedom of expression. The question in the organisation is not about different views, its about expressing them outside," said Ntola, who urged members to discuss internally and "adhere to decisions".
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