Calm — and the courts — needed in Overvaal dispute

Just as a positive mood seemed to be spreading across the country with many believing that the imminent demise of Jacob Zuma’s disastrous administration is to usher in a great new era for South Africa, ugly scenes of violence, intimidation and naked racism dominated television screens this past week. A high court ruling against the Gauteng government to force Hoërskool Overvaal, an Afrikaans-medium school in Vereeniging, to admit 55 English-speaking Grade 8 black pupils caused some parents and political parties to take to the streets to demand that the school put an end to what they saw as racial exclusion.

The frustrations of parents, pupils and communities at large who believe that language is used in some privileged schools to keep out black pupils are understandable. Despite South Africa being a nonracial democracy, there are still pockets of resistance against integration. However, there is no justification for violence, no matter how frustrated some of us may be with the pace of change.

The courts are there to be the arbiter in such cases of conflict where one side says pupils cannot be admitted because the school does not have the capacity to cater for pupils who want to learn in English, while the other believes this to be merely an excuse for racial exclusion.

The Gauteng education department lost the case in the lower court and has indicated that it will appeal. We should all allow that legal process to take its course and for the pupils at Overvaal and other schools in the area to continue with their education without any disruptions.

Resorting to violence is not going to solve the problem, it will only lead to the hardening of attitudes, as well as the further polarisation of the community.

Political parties have every right to play an activist role as part of civil society, but the future of the pupils — both black and white — is too important to be used as a political football. Political parties should now give space to the courts to resolve the matter.

The department and the school have an obligation to start a dialogue on how they can assist each other in starting a process that will make Overvaal a school for all.