The KwaSomubi Development Committee (KDC) has disputed allegations that their demands for the removal of eight teachers and the principal of Cottonlands Primary School in Verulam are racially motivated and that they had threatened parents, teachers and the school's governing body members.
KDC secretary Fakazi Mdletshe said allegations made against them were not true. He said that the KDC was only acting in the best interests of children, who had told their parents that they were unhappy with the treatment they received from the teachers at the school.
Mdletshe also said the teachers were practising corporal punishment.
"This is not a racial issue at all and we have tried all possible avenues to get our concerns heard, but we were turned down.
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"Things would not have gone this far had the minister of education (Ina Cronje) agreed to meet us," he said.
Last week, Cronje intervened in the matter after receiving reports that the committee was demanding that she remove the staff.
After a meeting with the school's governing body, teachers and parents, Cronje announced that she was going to report the KDC to the Human Rights Commission.
She said the memorandum handed to her by the KDC was deeply racist and sexist. It demanded that Cronje dissolve the school's governing body and dismiss the Indian principal and eight Indian teachers.
Mdletshe said the KDC was concerned that the minister had only heard one side of the story, as she had not invited them to the meeting last week.
"We were not invited to the meeting for us to voice our concerns to the minister. We have tried to arrange meetings with her but we have been let down," he said.
Mdletshe said the KDC acted after receiving complaints from the community, who were dissatisfied with the management of the school, "particularly the way that they handled and taught their children", he said.
However, the committee is still insisting that they want the removal of the school's principal, three lower grade teachers and the chairman of the school's governing body.
"The parents have said that they will not send their children to school if these people are still there," said Mdletshe.
Education department spokesperson Christi Naude said she was not aware of any correspondence sent to the minister's office.
- This article was originally published on page 3 of Daily News on August 04, 2005
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