FF Plus complaint about diversity training at Fish Hoek High School being investigated

23 January 2023

The complaint that the FF Plus lodged with the Human Rights Commission (HRC) about last year's traumatic 'diversity training session' at Fish Hoek High School is officially being investigated.

The HRC confirmed this to the FF Plus shortly after the announcement about Schweizer-Reneke was made last week.

The HRC found neither the teacher, Elana Barkhuizen, nor the Schweizer-Reneke Primary School guilty of any form of racism or discrimination in the 2019 incident

Regarding the Fish Hoek incident, the complaint was made against the DA's Western Cape Education Department (WCED), the party's MEC for Education, Mr David Maynier, and the group of individuals who presented the session. 

The complaint was lodged after public outcry from the townspeople and concerned parents reached out to the FF Plus for help.

It seems that the Fish Hoek training incident has already resulted in one head rolling. Ironically enough, it is not the head of one of the presenters nor of the individuals who organised the training, but of a staff member who tried to protect the children.

The staff member's name is known to the FF Plus, but is kept confidential for her protection.

While the training was taking place, this teacher became aware that the learners found it severely traumatising and she entered the school hall to ask them to stop the training session.

At the end of last year, disciplinary steps were taken against her for her 'disruption' of the session and she was asked to resign.

In its complaint to the HRC the FF Plus requested, among other things, that while the incident is being investigated, the Western Cape Education Department must not be allowed to conduct any further diversity training at schools.

According to parents in town, they are not aware of any ban on the diversity course.

The FF Plus is urgently calling on the WCED to immediately scrap the course in the interest of all Western Cape learners.

Critical Race Theory forms the basis of the course. This theoretical framework jars with most commentators' interpretation of the equality principle in Section 9 of South Africa's Constitution. Consequently, a constitutional body like the HRC must also rule on whether it is appropriate to employ it in schools.

One of the presenters stated that white people are the only ones who can be racists, while black people cannot seeing as they have no power.

Christianity was, furthermore, equated to white patriarchal oppression and the other statements that were made about Christianity can, at best, be seen as unwarranted, and at worst, as blasphemous.

From the sound recordings that learners secretly made of the session, it is clear that learners were extremely shocked and emotional.

And the one staff member who tried to protect the children lost her job.

The DA must see to it that this person is reinstated at once, and must stop playing with words as they are currently doing with the Schweizer-Reneke matter.

Ms Helen Zille from the DA said last week in response to the HRC's finding that the then youth leader of the DA who labelled Ms Barkhuizen a racist, Luyolo Mphithi, had 'resigned' after the incident.

The truth, however, is that the DA had in fact rewarded and promoted him by appointing him as a Member of Parliament.

Issued by Anton Alberts, FF Plus national chairperson, 23 January 2023