Education MEC upbeat despite ConCourt setback

Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi says the adverse court ruling he has suffered only challenged the administration of the department and not nonracialism as a principle.

“[The ruling] says the timelines that we gave people were ignored. It challenges the administration of the department and not nonracialism,” said Lesufi while visiting Hoërskool Overvaal, an Afrikaans-medium Veereniging.

Lesufi’s comments come a day after the Constitutional Court, in a unanimous judgment, turned down his appeal to an earlier ruling by the High Court in Pretoria, which stopped him from forcing Hoërskool Overvaal to enrol 55 English-speaking pupils.

The Afrikaans-medium high school made headlines at the beginning school in of the 2018 school year after the 55 English pupils were denied enrolment.

The school said it was full and could not afford to hire English teachers for the group of students.

On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court ruled that Lesufi had not given enough consideration on whether neighbouring English-medium schools such as General Smuts and Phoenix high schools, both in the same feeder zone as Hoërskool Overvaal, had the capacity to admit the pupils.

Lesufi yesterday insisted on tackling the race issue, saying “we are all human beings” and everyone is of equal importance.

He added: “We don’t need the court to help us build a nonracial South Africa. Those who want to build a non-racial society must do so where they are.” – ANA