Cape Town – Education MEC in the Western Cape Debbie Schäfer has angered an anti-bullying organisation for failing to recognise it so that it can get access to schools for its intervention programmes.
The Injabulo Anti-Bullying Project said it was still waiting for Schafer to have a follow-up meeting with it.
Project founder Lindiwe Dhlamini said the organisation needed the MEC to endorse it and allow it to continue its work.
She said she had approached the MEC late last year and had a meeting with her. After the meeting the MEC told her there was no money to fund the organisation.
“I told her that we don’t want the money. All we want is recognition.”
Dhlamini established the project in 2015 after her nephew was bullied in high school for being gay. She said the bullying was so severe that the boy became suicidal.
Shäfer’s spokesperson Jessica Shelver said the MEC could not meet everyone involved in programmes.
“We receive hundreds of requests from various organisations across the province who are running many wonderful initiatives and programmes,” Shelver said.
“Unfortunately it is simply impossible for the MEC to meet with every single one of them.”
The Injabulo Anti-Bullying Project had been referred to officials in the Cape Winelands District, she said.
Shelver knowledged the concerns about bullying at schools and said the provincial education department was working closely with organisations that were effective in some schools.