SADTU KZN STATEMENT FOLLOWING ITS MEETING WITH THE PREMIER
11 June 2025
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) in KwaZulu-Natal has just concluded a meeting with the Premier, following our formal request for engagement.
The meeting was progressive, as it created a platform for SADTU to present the funding challenges confronting our schools. It took place amid growing chaos in the province due to inadequate funding, which is essential for the proper functioning of schools.
While all issues were presented as captured in SADTU’s statement issued on 2 June 2025, the Union specifically requested that the meeting focus on the payment of the basic financial allocations (Norms and Standards).
The Premier appreciated SADTU’s presentation and indicated that it provided him with a broader understanding of the challenges facing the Department of Education. He further reported that he had already met with the MECs for Finance and Education both of whom SADTU had also requested to attend the meeting and that a plan was underway to address the challenges presented by SADTU.
The meeting resolved the following:
- The Premier committed that his office, in collaboration with the Department of Finance, will ensure that funds are made available for the Department of Education to pay all outstanding allocations to schools (including the remainder of 2024 and the May 2025 allocations).
- This payment process will be concluded within a period of two weeks.
- R900 million to be sourced from other departments to resolve the crisis for now
- Government will take up the discussion on the appointment of office-based educators and other posts
- A follow-up meeting will be convened to receive a report on the implementation of this decision.
SADTU views this development as a major victory for our schools and for our members who braved freezing conditions in the picket lines to fight for a just cause.
The way forward from here will be discussed in the Union’s scheduled meeting with the Department of Education tomorrow. This meeting will focus on coordinating the administration of examinations, particularly internal assessment papers. SADTU has observed inconsistencies, with some schools cancelling exams while others proceeded. The Union expects departmental leadership to provide clear guidance to ensure uniformity across all districts.
ISSUED BY: SADTU KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Office