Johannesburg - Seventeen months ago, Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi sternly announced he would hold an inquiry into racism in independent schools.
But the body that runs independent schools says it has never heard from him regarding the promised probe.
In February 2015, after visiting the Curro Roodeplaat Foundation School in the north of Pretoria, Lesufi said he had instituted an inquiry to investigate racism at private and independent schools in the province.
At the time, Lesufi threatened to revoke licences of schools that encouraged racism.
He said a transformation charter would be drawn up and adopted by all independent schools.
The Curro school had been accused of segregating pupils according to race. The school changed its policy and was also made to adopt a transformation charter.
Independent Schools' Association of Southern Africa (Isasa) executive director Lebogang Montjane said he was unaware how the inquiry was going.
Isasa represents more than 730 independent and private schools.
“Isasa has not heard any official communication from the Gauteng MEC for education regarding the status or progress of the inquiry.”
Montjane said Isasa was willing to co-operate with the department if the inquiry ever happens.
Recently, the Freedom Front Plus said it would open charges against Lesufi after he contravened the Children’s Act when he posted a controversial picture showing a little black girl sitting by herself at the Koeitjies en Kalfies nursery school in Centurion.
Two months earlier, Lesufi investigated a religious independent school that had an exam question featuring a cartoon of President Jacob Zuma.
The first question asked who the man in the picture was, while the second one asked if the pupils would vote for the person, based on the picture.
Lesufi met with the school and said they apologised.
He said work had already been started by a team, chaired by Judge Yvonne Mokgoro, that was formed to lead a conversation around racism and xenophobia.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura formed the 20-member group known as the Eminent Group of Nation-building and Social Cohesion Champions.
The team would work with the Makhura provincial government, municipal mayors and leaders of civil society over the next three years to implement a comprehensive programme of social cohesion and nation building.
The Star