ANC spat with Kader Asmal continues

By Ofentse Mokae
24 October 2009

African National Congress secretary general Gwede Mantashe has warned against "self destruction" in a spat between former education minister Kader Asmal and the MK Military Veterans Association.

Mantashe says Asmal is welcome to engage the party of any issue.

But he warns the veteran politician that, “self-destruction can bleed you to death."

Asmal was criticised by the ANC and the MKVA over comments about what he describes as the “militarising” of the police.

This led the MKVA to advise him to "go to the nearest cemetery and die.”

Meanwhile Mantashe said the ANC was appalled by the conduct of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union for threatening strike action, set to disrupt matric examinations in Soweto.

The secretary general in a statement deplores what he describes as this week’s irresponsible act by hundreds of Soweto teachers who abandoned lessons to discuss deductions on their salaries.

The ANC called on learners and the Soweto community to stand up for their rights.

Sadtu has, however, scrapped its planned strike action.

The union's regional secretary Ronald Nyathi says the decision follows the announcement by Gauteng education MEC Barbara Creecy that the department had agreed to reverse all salary deductions made in October.