SAC plea to stop teacher cuts dismissed

A day before 2 407 teacher posts in the Western Cape were to be terminated by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), the Special Action Committee for Education (SAC) and the WCED appeared in court where an urgent interdict application was dismissed

The ruling was delivered orally and the matter struck off the roll with costs, due to a lack of urgency, the judge found.

Prior to the matter being heard, around 20 people 
protested outside the Western Cape High Court, against the department’s decision to cut 
2 407 teacher posts for the 2025 academic year.

The application was launched by SAC with respondents cited as WCED, Western Cape Education MEC, Western Cape Finance MEC, and the Department of Basic Education.

SAC chairperson Terrence Smith said: “We had no other alternative.

“We tried all other measures through the legal processes and engagement with the department and in conjunction with the labour organisation like Cosatu and they just rebuffed all our attempts to get around the table to discuss alternative ways of not 
removing 2 407 teacher posts… And we believe that the 
decision is totally irrational.”

Of those who had gathered were SAC members, retired principals, teachers, and organisations in support of the application, including political parties GOOD, MK Party, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Also in support of the litigation was Cosatu.

In their affidavit, Smith said budget cuts for education had affected all nine provinces, however the Western Cape was the only province to reduce its teacher posts, which will
negatively affect poorer communities.

However the judge inquired as to why there was a delay in instituting the court application when the decision to cut the posts was already known in July/August 2024. He found the matter was not urgent and struck it off the roll.

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