EFF statement on racist Crowthorne Christian Academy
17 August 2023
The Economic Freedom Fighters Gauteng condemns with strongest terms the racism at Crowthorne Christian Academic, in Midrand, Gauteng. The school made a racist decision to dismiss a 13-Year-Old learner, Tynil Gcabashe, from class, because she has dreadlocks on.
The school principal, Tanya Booysen is reported to have said the learner will not be allowed back to school unless her dreadlocks are shaved-off. And Monday the 14th Of August 2023, when the learner's parents sought to resolve the issue with the school, a white racist male alleged to be the Principal’s husband, acting on the instructions and permission of the school, violently handled both the mother and the young girl and pushed them out of the school. A video making rounds on social media bears evidence to this effect.
The Crowthorne Christian Academic is an independent school with a policy that allows only learners with natural hair in the school. This policy is on the racist notion that natural hair means relaxed and straightened hair inherent to White people, whereas curly hair and dreadlocks, characteristic of black people's hair are considered unnatural and therefore prohibited from the school.
The EFF in Gauteng condemns the school and its policy which effectively institutionalizes racism by raising White peoples genotypical and phenotypical characteristics as the standard for what is natural and those of African People as unnatural . We deplore such a policy because it seeks to suggest there is something abnormal and problematic about African people and our blackness and that we must strive and evolve to a higher and more acceptable standard, Whiteness.
Moreover, we also note the fact that the school is not fully registered with the Department of Education. However, this is not a surprise as the ANC government has proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that it is not in charge of its affairs. Schools are allowed to operate without being fully because they are run by white people and a racist perception is created that everything white is It is worth noting that just a week ago, the EFF was called to respond to a case of racism at Curro Academy Protea Glen Primary School where the head of the school saw it fit to refer to a black teacher as a monkey. In January this year, the EFF also jumped in defense of black people when the racist Laerskool Danie Malan saw t fit to systematically exclude black learners from accessing school for learning, and in 2016, Pretoria Girls High national outrage for their discrimination against black learners by demanding them to use chemicals to straighten their natural afro hair for them to be accepted in school.
The question South Africans should be asking is, why are white racists still feel comfortable abusing black people under the ANC government, even 30 years into democracy? The answer will be found in the fact that white people still have not apologized for the Apartheid Colonial rule because they see nothing wrong with it. And the fact that the ‘94 Moment only resulted in Flag Liberation, the oppressor lost nothing and the oppressed remain landless and excluded from the economic activities of this country.
The EFF Gauteng stands in full solidarity with the victimized learner and her family and we call on swift action from the Gauteng Department of Education in ensuring that the school and those responsible are brought to book. The EFF structures staged a picket outside Crowthorne Christian Academy and outside the Midrand Magistrate Court where Mr Andries, the husband of Tanya Booysen appeared for bail application. And we will not rest until the family receives justice and the racists are held accountable.
Issued by Dumisani Baleni, Provincial Communications Officer, EFF Gauteng, 17 August 2023
