South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) officials visited the Jan Viljoen High School earlier this morning. The officials met with the principal, school governing body and teachers.
The Gauteng MEC of Education Panayaza Lisufi has called the SAHRC to investigate allegations of racism and sexual misconduct at Jan Viljoen High School in Randfontein.
The calls comes after the MEC’s visit yesterday to inspect what was going on at the school. A fight which broke out on Friday 11 February 2022 between two learners, sparked outrage which led to racial tensions among the parents outside the school gate.
Parents were gathered outside the school on Monday morning waiting to hear an address by the MEC of Education. The parents were divided on racial lines. Violence almost erupted and stun grenades were fired at protesting parents and political members. The situation was quickly resolved but tensions were still high.
Jan Viljoen High School has been temporarily closed and classes will commence on Thursday. The South African Teachers Union (SADTU) has described the racism as unacceptable. In a statement SADTU says it supports Panayaza Lisufi’s call for an investigation into allegations of racism.
“Racism is a gross violation of the Constitution; it is a human rights issue, those who are found to be responsible for promoting or deliberately ignoring this behavior must be held accountable. Parents and teachers are models for children’s behaviour.
“We call on the Gauteng Department of Education to run diversity management programs and put measures to transform the racial composition of the staff at the institution.
“We call on stakeholders to restore calm at the school in order to recover the lost teaching and learning time whilst all these processes are unfolding.”
Sources: Jacaranda FM, EWN, Inside Education
