Johannesburg - The Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA) on Monday acknowledged the anger at some of its schools where allegations of racism have not been adequately addressed for a long time.
The statement from Anglican c comes days after students at the church's Bishops Diocesan College in the Western Cape province demanded that allegations of racism at the institution be addressed after what they called years of inaction.
In a memorandum, they said racism had prevailed at the school since its inception and listed 20 demands towards its transformation towards a more inclusive culture.
On Monday, Archbishop Makgoba said the Anglican church had been urged to address with new urgency the processes of recognition and reconciliation which had occupied it and its schools over many years.
"We affirm those school leadership teams which have been addressing these painful issues over time," he said.
"We regret the inequities and consequent pain which continue. We recognise that the pace of both recognition and change needs to be accelerated in many contexts."
He urged schools and dioceses to ensure that policy and practice designed "to foster institutional cultures of healing, inclusion and justice are set forward in any place that bears our name".
"We ask the Anglican board of education to help strengthen oversight and support for journeys of recognition and reconciliation embarked upon by our schools towards transformation and integrity in our identity and witness," Makgoba added.
Institutionalised racism has come under the spotlight globally after the death of African American George Floyd on May 25 after a white police officer knelt on his knee for nearly nine minutes during an arrest, ignoring his pleas that he could not breathe.
The death has sparked mass protests both in the United States and several other countries around the world.