Racial storm over the appointment of a black principal rages on

Klipspruit West Secondary School is at the centre of a racial storm over the appointment of a black principal.

Klipspruit West Secondary School is at the centre of a racial storm over the appointment of a black principal.

Published Aug 1, 2017

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THE community of Eldorado Park has accused the Department of Education of using the race card in a bid to side-step the impasse at Klipspruit West Secondary School .

This is as the racial storm over the appointment of a black principal continues to rage on.

This came out earlier during a media briefing by the Gauteng Crisis Committee in Klipspruit where the committee insisted that their protest was based on the lack of accurate procedure in the appointment of the current incumbent.

Anthony Williams from the Patriots For Equality said the department had blown the matter out of proportion and was not confronting the issue of appointing a suitable and qualified candidate.

“Instead of sitting down and having a discussion about it, they have chosen to go out on a frenzy and branded this community as racist. Its improper and it’s absolutely unethical that you would go out there and make the kind of remarks the department has made,” William said.

He said they refuted the remarks and maintained that the community was not racist in it attempt to have the department rescind its appointment of the current incumbent.

“We have black learners in our school for over 25 years and its never been a problem. Many African people who are in corporate South Africa went to schools in Coloured areas so it doesn’t make sense that the department continues to brand us as racist,”  he said.

Williams was speaking on the backdrop of teachers in the south of Joburg embarked on a go-slow in solidarity with parents of Klipspruit West Secondary that shut down the school last week demanding a coloured or Indian be appointed head of the school. The group of parents from the mostly Coloured area locked the gates and prevented learners from entering the school in protest against the new appointment.  Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi condemned the go-slow by schools in so-called coloured communities.

“We have reliably been informed that some Coloured educators in about nine schools in Coloured communities in Johannesburg West will embark on a go-slow in solidarity with Klipspruit-West,” said Lesufi.

“The department condemns the go-slow, as all the concerned parties are working tirelessly to resolve the impasse. The department implores educators to adhere to the code of conduct and desist from taking part in any activities that compromise effective teaching and learning.”

Lesufi said he introduced interim measures to calm the situation at Klipspruit West Secondary School.

 

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