SADTU STATEMENT CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT OF TANZANIA TO RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF TANZANIA TEACHERS UNION LEADERS
20 February 2024
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) welcomes the release of Tanzania Teachers’ Union (TTU) General Secretary, Comrade Japhet Maganga and his colleagues last night.
Comrade Maganga and his colleagues were arrested on Friday, 16 February 2024 during a TTU National Council meeting. SADTU, in response to the call by global union federation of education workers, Education International, to condemn their arrest and demand their immediate release, wrote a protest letter to the President of the United Republic of Tanzania.
As SADTU we maintain that their arrest was a clear violation of international labour standards, in particular, ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of Right to Organise and 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining of which Tanzania is a signatory.
As we welcome their release, we are fully aware of the fact that the struggle is not yet over as Comrade Maganga and his colleagues were ordered to report to the police station today. He has been denied secondment, his contract as a teacher terminated, and the government forced his removal as Union General Secretary.
SADTU will continue to fight for justice and freedom of association for the TTU leadership. We are going to write another protest letter to the President of Tanzania demanding that all charges against Maganga and the other leaders of TTU are dropped; comrade Maganga is reinstated as a teacher and granted secondment.
Aluta Continua!
ISSUED BY: SADTU Secretariat