Pretoria - South Africans on social media were divided after Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi announced that Höerskool HF Verwoerd in Pretoria will be renamed Rietodale Secondary School.
"My mission in this world is to reverse everything this man called Verwoerd has done to our education system. Others names like Jan Smuts will also fall," said Lesufi in a tweet.
The renaming of the school sparked a heated debate on Twitter with some questioning why it will be renamed and others hailing the move.
In the face of fierce criticism, with some social media users accusing him of tampering with history, Lesufi lashed out.
AfriForum Deputy CEO Ernst Roets said in a tweet that "Panyaza Lesufi is concerned with targeting well functioning schools much more than with fixing dysfunctional schools." Lesufi then responded by calling Roets' accusations 'baseless'.
If your ancestors didn’t give us gutter education dysfunctional schools won’t exist. Beside, all schools belong to all our children. Gauteng is the number Province in terms of education so your accusation is baseless. Out of the top 10 Districts in the country 8 are in Gauteng https://t.co/1ywMfwAWLL
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) May 20, 2019
When asked why doesn't he focus on basic education, Lesufi said that leaving the apartheid names would be wrong.
and leave apartheid names? That’s what you are trying to say? O wrong shame, actually in township lingo we say ‘ o doile ‘ ask Verwoerd for interpretation https://t.co/iYI7F5wTIL
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) May 21, 2019
HF Verwoerd must fall.
P Kruger must fall.
CR Swart must fall.
J Smuts must fall.
C Boshoff must fall.
FW de Klerk MUST FALL.
We can see their names in books.
We don't need them on our streets, schools, statues or as the ghosts of oppression past (& present) opining on 702… https://t.co/vgjxRFdhuM
— Ottilia Anna MaSibanda (@MaS1banda) May 21, 2019
Removing the horrible name of Verwoerd is one of the ingredients of improving basic education.
Don’t you know what Verwoerd did, in FACT all the schools bearing Apartheid prime ministers must be removed because they did not represent all.
The system must accommodate all.
— Mmaselema Sa Lenaka (@mmaselema) May 21, 2019
@Lesufi in Verwoerd’s term alone there were more schools built than during the entire reign of the ANC. Build more schools and focus on education not discrimination.
— Pierre (@PierreWHeeler) May 21, 2019
There is Verwoerd tunnel in my home town in Limpopo, can something be done about it please. Each time i pass that tunnel i feel like crying.
— Mashudu Mulamu (@mglmulamu) May 21, 2019
This should have been done ages ago. Atleast @Lesufi has attended to it. But then again there is still John Vorster Dr and Hendrick Verwoerd Dr in Centurion that the @CityTshwane hasn't renamed.
— Monsieur L (@ke_slaga) May 21, 2019