Lesufi’s racism advisory council for education is born out of the sin of racial prejudice
Media release by:
17 July 2020
The FF Plus has ascertained from the response by the Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyasa Lesufi, to a question in the provincial Legislature that the education racism advisory council, which will be tasked with investigating teachers and learners for inclinations of racism, is born out of the sin of racial prejudice.
According to the written reply that the FF Plus received from Lesufi, the main reason why the council will be established is the incidence of white-on-black racism.
No mention is made of black-on-white racism. It is, thus, abundantly clear that the council will be established in order to investigate white teachers and learners in a biased manner without any consideration of reversed racism and discrimination.
The FF Plus considers the creation of the council as unconstitutional because it is one-sided and will arbitrarily discriminate against white teachers and learners. The party will lodge a formal complaint with the human rights commission (HRC).
The planned frame of reference of the proposed council puts forward, among other things, examples of where black learners are excluded from schools and where language and religion are used as basis for exclusion as rationale for the creation of the council.
This in itself serves as proof that the proposed council will be used to collect so-called data to target non-English schools and force them to change their language policy based on incidents of alleged racism.
In essence, the examples provided are actually ANC-code aimed for hurting Afrikaans schools and forcing all schools to become multilingual, which will eventually result in all schools becoming predominantly English. Thus, the FF Plus views this council as no more than a weapon that will be used to speed up the destruction of Afrikaans and all other non-English schools.
The irony of the matter is that Afrikaans parents' tax money will be used to establish the council and pay its members who are determined to help destroy these people's culture and language. Afrikaans schools already only comprise a mere 6% of all schools in Gauteng.
Clearly Lesufi's obsession with racial-politics has given birth to yet another polarising monster, this time in the form of a Soviet-era racism police that spy on innocent citizens.
The FF Plus will not tolerate this and will do everything in its power to stop the creation of such a council.
See below:
DRAFT TERMS OF REFERENCE: ESTABLISHMENT OF A RACISM ADVISORY COUNCIL
1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Racism in South Africa is widely regarded as an ongoing problem, despite the demise of Apartheid it remains a societal and an institutionalised problem. In schools in Gauteng, racism manifests itself in different ways as follows such as separation of pupils into classes by race, using policy to implement discriminatory practices such as denying black learners admission to school, School’s Code of Conduct, language and Religious policies not being inclusive and teachers using derogatory terms when addressing black pupils.
The following examples represent a few of the racist incidents that have taken place over the past few years, that were reported and received media attention:
- a private school in Roodeplaat; the Curro Foundation School, separated pupils in classes and when taking learners out on an excursion, according to race;
- learners at Pretoria Girls High Schools protested the school’s code of conduct saying that it prohibited African hairstyles such afros, dreadlocks and braids. Black learners also asserted that they were called monkeys and other racially derogatory terms were used on them by teachers;
- Saint John’s College was criticised for merely disciplining and demoting a teacher found guilty of sustained discrimination of black learners in his classes. He was accused by them of, among other comments, telling black pupils, when they excelled in tests, that they were letting their people down, implying that black people are not expected to do well at tests. Racist comments were also made to pupils of Indian descent;
- accusations were made against a Parktown Boys’ High School teacher for an alleged racist rant.
- recently (June 2020), dozens of schools across South Africa faced allegations of racism, amidst the global Black Lives matter protests, some of the allegations that surfaced accuse teachers of asking black pupils why they did not attend township schools and ostracized black pupils who did not conform to white behaviour amongst these schools were Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge, St. Stithians and Redam House in Gauteng.
The above incidents require the Gauteng Department of Education to investigate racism at schools in the Province.
2. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK
2.1 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act No. 108 of 1996), as amended.
2.2 The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, 2000 (Act No. 4 of 2000)
2.3 The South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act No. 84 of 1996), as amended.
2.4 Gauteng schools Education Act, 1995(Act No. 6 of 1995), as amended.
2.5 Gauteng education Policy Act,1998 (Act No.12 of 1998), as amended
3. ESTABLISHMENT OF RACISM ADVISORY COUNCIL
The MEC of Education in Gauteng shall establish the Racism Advisory Council in terms of Section 10 of the Gauteng Education Policy Act, 1998 (Act No.12 of 1998), as amended by calling for nominations through a Notice or for applications in response to an advert.
4. COMPOSITION AND SELECTION OF THE RACISM ADVISORY COUNCIL
4.1 The Racism Advisory Council shall comprise of 6 members reflecting a gender balance.
4.2 Selection Criteria
The members of the Racism Advisory Council shall be recommended by the GDE Top Management for the approval of the MEC on the basis of the following :
- Knowledge and understanding of anti-racism and apartheid issues;
- Experience working on anti-racism issues;
- Activism in the community on access, anti-racism, equity issues;
- Commitment and accountability to a collective process;
- Proven ability to consult within and across their sector;
- Skills in listening, analysis and learning;
- Research Skills;
- Ability to work in a team setting, including an interest and capacity to work through consensus; and
- Availability and willingness to attend meetings.
5. PURPOSE OF THE RACISM ADVISORY COUNCIL
The purpose of the Racism Advisory Council will be to:
a) investigate the nature and extent of racism in Gauteng Schools; and
b) recommend to the MEC interventions that should be put in place to combat racism in Gauteng schools.
6. SCOPE OF WORK
3.1 The scope of work involves:
a) identify a sample of schools at which to investigate the nature and extent of racism in Gauteng Schools;
b) meeting as a team and with relevant stakeholders;
c) collecting data on racism in schools;
d) analyse the data collected;
e) drafting of reports with clear recommendations for the consideration of the MEC and
d) ensure that all the relevant records are maintained regarding its activities.
7. MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS
7.1 All meetings of the Racism Advisory Council shall be convened by the Chairperson of the Council or in his absence, the Deputy Chairperson.
7.2 The Racism Advisory Council shall report to the MEC.
7.3 All remuneration shall be processed through the Office of the DDG: Corporate Management
8. SECRETARIAT
8.1 The Head of Department shall appoint the secretariat to the Council.
8.2 The Secretariat shall perform its functions as outlined in section 11 of General Notice of 1416 of 2015.
9. CONFIDENTIALITY
(a) The Governing Body Advisory Council shall handle all matters referred to it in a confidential manner.
(b) The reports generated by the advisory council shall remain confidential.
10. COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
(a) The reports generated by the Governing Body Advisory Council will remain the intellectual property of the Department and the MEC shall have exclusive rights to its use and distribution.
11.OUTPUTS
The following outputs are envisaged:
11.1 A monthly report
A monthly report on the activities of the Advisory Council including an expenditure report will be provided to the MEC, by the end of each month.
11.2 Ad Hoc Reports
Ad Hoc reports will be tabled as and when required by the MEC.
11.3 An Investigation Report
This is a report that will be compiled by the Advisory Council based on a matter referred to them for investigation by the MEC after an investigation has been conducted consisting, but not limited to, details of the matter being investigated, the approach to the investigation, findings, recommendations and supporting documents.
11.4 Remuneration
The members will be remunerated as determined by the National Treasury.
ENDS
Statement issued by Adv. Anton Alberts, FF Plus national chairperson and MPL: Gauteng, 17 July 2020
