Principal must apologise after remarks against white people

13 June 2022 

Samthini Patrick Duna, Principal of Barkley East High School, had to apologise for a post on his Facebook page which was derogatory and racist toward white people. He also had to remove this post. This follows after AfriForum in a letter to Duna requested the apology for and removal of the post.

The post, which was made on Duna’s Facebook page on 25 May 2022, states that: “Some stupid white racists will never change and it doesn’t matter how educated they are. I wish we could have a shrewd and firm leader like Paul Kagame. Someone who would let these nuisances rot in jail or chase them back to Europe like he did to the Chinese.”

According to Natasha Venter, Advisor for Education Rights at AfriForum, such remarks are unacceptable and especially concerning coming from someone in a position of power who oversees the education of children.

“This post could have been seen by anyone with access to Duna’s Facebook-page – including learners at the school. As the principal of a school, he is actually supposed to set an example, but he rather chose to fan the flames of racial hatred by making this post. We hope that Duna really learnt something from this incident and that he will in the future not judge people based on the colour of their skin – as he indicated in his apology,” says Venter.

Duna also indicated in his apology that he does not believe that anyone should be jailed or “chased back to Europe” based on their race and that South Africa belongs to all who live in it.

The Provincial Department of Basic Education in the Eastern Cape also indicated in the media that they would take disciplinary steps against Duna pending an investigation into the post. AfriForum will monitor these proceedings.

Issued by Natasha Venter, Advisor: Education Rights, AfriForum, 13 June 2022