Urgent court bid to stop Western Cape teaching job cuts fails [VIDEO]

An urgent court application to halt the Western Cape education department from cutting 2 400 teacher has been struck from the roll.

The Western Cape High Court handed down the judgement on Monday.

Watch proceedings in the Western Cape High Court

Urgent application

Lobby group the Special Action Committee (SAC) made a last-minute urgent application to the court asking it to review and set aside the department’s decision to terminate the teacher posts in 2025.

The Western Cape education department is set to cut 2 407 teacher jobs in the New Year due to the national government’s inability to accommodate a 2023 wage agreement fully.

The teachers are set to lose their jobs on Tuesday.

Counsel for the department argued that SAC in its application said the matter was “manifestly urgent” and that it would be able to obtain adequate redress.

“The remaining paragraphs do not assist the applicant in so far as establishing urgency is concerned.”

ALSO READ: DA urges government to find alternative areas for budget cuts to save teachers’ jobs

Ruling

Judge Melanie Holderness struck the matter off the roll with costs.

In her ruling, Holderness said the SAC gave no reason for its delay in approaching the court and cannot create its “own urgency”.

The Western Cape provincial government revealed they are facing a R3.8 billion shortfall over the next three years, despite their execution of a substantial R2.5 billion budget cut in administration, curriculum and infrastructure.

Cape Town is set to lose a total of 1 674 teaching posts in January next year, while the Cape Winelands district will see 299 teaching posts slashed.

Education system under pressure

The South African education system is under immense pressure with other provincial departments of education also announcing budget pressures threatening teachers’ jobs.

The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) education indicated that it cannot afford 11 092 of its educator posts. With a budget shortfall of R4 billion for this year alone.

Mpumalanga has a budget challenge of R876 million that it must resolve, while the North West has to find R485 million.

According to the Northern Cape Portfolio Committee, it had to implement a “drastic removal of a large number of vacant posts” from its organisational structure, though it won’t be able to deal with their shortfall.

Assurance

Gauteng has also indicated that they will have to reduce learner transport, and will not be able to expand Early Childhood Development coverage as planned.

Despite all the concerns, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube assured the nation in September that there will be no teacher retrenchments in 2025, saying “South Africa needs to invest in its education system.”

ALSO READ: Some teacher contracts won’t be renewed in the Western Cape, but schools will stay open