Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Queenstown's SADTU Wants Justice for Vavi, Ntola

Eastern Cape
Nov 7 2013 11:06AM

Queenstown’s Sadtu want justice for Vavi, Ntola

SITHANDIWE VELAPHI

The Queenstown branch of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) region has reiterated it would intensify its fight for the union’s suspended national president Thobile Ntola to be reinstated.

This week, the region sent a scathing letter to general secretary Mugwena Maluleke calling on him to facilitate Ntola’s reinstatement.

The region said it had noted “with grave concern, the element of disrespect and disregard for the provisions of the constitution of Sadtu”.

The letter was written by Sadtu’s regional chairperson Aaron Mhlontlo and addressed to Maluleke.

Cosatu affiliates in the Eastern Cape as well as Sadtu’s branches in the province and elsewhere have been copied the letter.

The tensions between the region and the national office comes after Ntola was suspended by Sadtu after he was accused of hosting suspended Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi at Sadtu’s regional gathering in East London in August.

The region claimed Ntola was yet to be served with a suspension letter.

“Comrade Thobile Ntola has not been served with charges so far let alone that he was suspended in the Special NEC of August 13 where the constitution was flouted up to no decimal point,” Mhlontlo said in the letter.

“The general secretary of Cosatu (Vavi) has also not been served with charges after he was suspended in the special CEC of August 14.”

“The region is not in support of the suspension of comrade Vavi and Comrade Ntola. We will continue demanding the reinstatement of our leaders with immediate effect and that should not be ridiculed and reduced to tribalism and regionalism,” Mhlontlo said.

Maluleke said yesterday: “Sorry, this is an internal matter and as such we cannot discuss it with the media.”

velaphis@thenewage.co.za

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