The South African Democratic Teachers Union has expressed their disappointment over the appointment of a DA member as the Minister of Basic Education. DA MP Siviwe Gwarube who succeeded Angie Motshekga was appointed to the position in the new cabinet formed by the National Government of Unity (GNU), which comprises 32 ministers and 43 deputy ministers.

Sadtu spokesperson Nomusa Cembi has expressed concerns about the DA's education policies and what they call the party's anti-trade union stance. "Historically we've never been on good terms with the DA because its policies have been anti-trade unions. For a long time, the DA did not believe that trade unions have a right to exist," Cembi said. "They've always made statements that Sadtu was to blame for all the problems that are there in the education sector. They always accuse us of opposing the education in this country, of being in charge of education, and of controlling the department of education and the ministers and all," added Cembi.

Sadtu's Mugwena Maluleke says the union is rejecting the new education minister, claiming that the DA has no interest in addressing issues faced by black teachers in the sector. "We are not happy with the department being headed by a DA member regardless of their race. In the manifesto of the DA, they create a narrative based on ideologies that they believe in that SADTU is a stumbling block to quality education. They have been clear in rejecting transformational policies that the department of basic education have been trying to implement, including the Bela Bill that seeks to address the issue of languages at schools.

Gwarube has been a Member of the National Assembly representing the DA since May 2019. She was the shadow minister of health and the DA's national spokesperson from 2020 to 2022. She was also the deputy Chief Whip of the official opposition from December 2021 until August 2022. She attended Kingsridge High School for Girls in the Eastern Cape and went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law, Politics, and Philosophy from Rhodes University, and an Honours degree in Political Science from the University of the Western Cape.