Watch: COSAS student threatens violence on teachers [video]

The Congress of South African Students (COSAS) has revealed that it will be embarking on a national shutdown of schools on Friday.

John Macheke, the president of COSAS, has vowed that the shutdown will include tertiary institutions too. The organisation will be marching to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to hand over a memorandum to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“It cannot be that after 24 years of democracy there are no schools in several communities and the president only speaks of sanitation. Security remains a concern in the entire country, learners are being raped and killed,” says Macheke.

Read – Cosas calls for “apartheid school names” to change

COSAS Gauteng provincial chairperson threatens teachers who ignore the shutdown

Wandile Mofokeng, COSAS’ Gauteng provincial chairperson, was on eNCA on Friday morning, speaking to Uveka Rangappa about the impending strike.

He made it clear that an injury to one is an injury to all, referring to those who may be affected by the strike action.

He reiterated the words of the president of the organisation that should school teachers ignore the call to avoid school proceedings on Friday, they will be moered.

Macheke had stated that

“each and every teacher who will go to a classroom and try to teach while schools are being closed we will ‘moer’ that teacher and they must be expelled from their own school and the principal must be fired because you cannot teach in a school that is not conjunctive for learning,”

Department of Education claims strike will not affect schooling

Elijah Mlhanga, the spokesperson of the Department of Education confirmed that they were aware of the strike action that was to take place. However, he assured the public that plans to ensure that schooling continued as normal were still in place.

“We don’t think that it will have an impact on teaching and learning and we encourage our teachers to go to school. If they are intimidated, then they must report to the police and the culprits will be arrested it’s as simple as that. If anyone prevents learners from going to school they must be dealt with in terms of the law, the Schools Act is very clear on this,” said Mhlanga.