Blackboard jungle rumble

The raging fires of dissent threatening to raze beleaguered labour federation Cosatu seem to be spreading fast to some of its biggest affiliates.

In the latest in-fighting, the national executive committee of the SA Democratic Teachers Union is preparing to suspend its entire Eastern Cape provincial executive.

The national executive has asked the provincial executive to say why it should not be suspended.

The Eastern Cape leadership of the union was given seven days in which to respond.

The province's response was accepted by Sadtu's national leadership yesterday at a special meeting in Kempton Park, on the East Rand.

The Eastern Cape executive and the national leadership have been at loggerheads since the union suspended its former president, Thobile Ntola.

Tensions between the two committees intensified recently when Ntola, who enjoys great support in Eastern Cape and the Free State, was expelled from the union.

Ntola was found guilty by a disciplinary committee earlier this year of irregularities, including allegedly receiving a monthly allowance of R10000 from a Sadtu service provider.

The union estimated that Ntola had benefited by R300000 since 2010.

Ntola is widely perceived as a supporter of Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and allowed Vavi to speak at union rallies during his suspension from Cosatu.

Sadtu has denied that this played a part in deciding on Ntola's suspension.

General secretary of the teachers' union, Mugwena Maluleke has accused the union's Eastern Cape executive of defying the national executive committee by not attending its meetings. He said the province had refused to abide by resolutions regarding the suspensions of Ntola and Vavi, and had refused to cooperate with national executive committee interventions in the province.