Solidarity serves court papers for Barkhuizen

TRADE union Solidarity has served the North West Education Department with court papers asking that the suspension of Laërskool Schweizer-Reneke teacher Elana Barkhuizen be lifted, the union said.

The papers were served on North West Education MEC Sello Lehari, the North West Education Department and on Laërskool Schweizer-Reneke and its governing body (SGB).

Earlier this week, Solidarity announced at a press conference that it would take legal action on behalf of Barkhuizen.

In its urgent application, Solidarity requests the Labour Court in Johannesburg to give a ruling as early as January 24, arguing that Barkhuizen’s suspension was unlawful. They request that she be reinstated immediately.

Head of Labour Law Services at Solidarity, Anton van der Bijl, said Barkhuizen should never have been suspended in the first place. He said the manner in which Barkhuizen was suspended was in direct contravention of labour law.

“It was not within the MEC’s powers to suspend her because she is in the employ of the governing body.”

Barkhuizen was suspended after a photograph she took of a class went viral on social media. In the photograph, black children were sitting apart from white children.

Lehari said Barkhuizen was suspended by the SGB, and he merely made the decision public. | African News Agency (ANA)