Roosevelt High puts racism row behind it
School drops charges against pupil who retweeted tweets on racism
A grade 12 pupil who was suspended for speaking against alleged racism at Roosevelt High School in Johannesburg has been cleared.
The learner, who had retweeted tweets from an account that has since been deletedwith testimonies on alleged racism and nepotism at the school was suspended in August.
She was charged for engaging in a conspiracy to disrupt the proper functioning of the school through collective action and for insulting the dignity of or defaming any learner or any person.”
Her disciplinary hearing was set down for Wednesday but instead she received a letter from the school signed both by deputy principal and the school ’ s governing body (SGB) chairperson withdrawing the charges in her “best interest in lieu of the upcoming matric results
The 18-year-old, who could not be identified, said she was excited because she was not going to focus on her exams.
“In the past fewweeks nothing really happened except that they kept postponing the hearings over and over. However I wasn ’ t threatened or bullied, ” she said. The child ’ s mother referred all the questions to her attorney.
The family ’ s attorney, Mahlatse Gwebu, said the withdrawal of the charges was a relief for the family.
“The family is excited that the child will write her exams with no cloud hanging over her shoulders.
For nowI don ’ t have any instructions from the family of the way forward. They are just interested in their child focusing on her final exams,” Gwebu said.
Education spokesperson Steve Mabona said their investigation and psycho-social support continues.
We are closely monitoring that the learner will write her exams without any hindrance, ” Mabona said.