President of SADTU suspended

By Tina George
15 December 2007

The South African Democratic Teachers Union has suspended its president Willie Madisha.

This follows Madisha’s decision to tell members not to vote for Jacob Zuma as the next president of the ANC.

“He has contradicted Union policy where the Union has adopted and endorsed a SADTU position to campaign for the comrade Jacob Zuma for the president of the ANC,” says Cosatu General Secretary Thulas Nxesi.

Madisha was believed to have urged members not to vote for immoral leaders, in what was seen as an attack on Zuma, whose candidacy SADTU supports.

“He has gone all out to persuade members not to vote for Jacob Zuma, using the court case which Jacob Zuma was accused of in the rape trail,” says Nxesi.

The Union feels that Zuma was cleared of the particular allegation and therefore cannot be accused and used by Madishe to campaign against him.