School racism probe released
A GRIEVANCE committee to manage conflict and diversity training recommended at Hoërskool Jan Viljoen handed in the preliminary report into allegations of racism and sexual harassment at the school.
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi convened a meeting at Hoërskool Jan Viljoen in Randfontein on Tuesday afternoon with the School Management Team (SMT), School Governing Body (SGB) and parents to discuss the outcome of a preliminary report on the findings from an investigation into allegations of racism and sexual harassment at the school.
“We have chosen to take a reconciliatory, unifying, and a non-racial South Africa approach. Those that want to reverse the reconciliation and social cohesion agenda and everything that we have done to build this South Africa will be isolated because the majority wants to live in a country where we all respect each other’s rights,” said MEC Lesufi.
The report was presented by Luke Enslin, a representative of Specialised Security Services, which is a private investigative company hired by the school to probe what transpired at the school in February.
After conducting interviews and receiving statements from various parties during their investigation, Enslin confirmed that there are learners in the school who transgressed different laws at different times and that third parties (people outside the school) were discovered to have been involved in the initial fighting and escalation of violence at the school.
“Recommendations that were made that a grievance procedure is necessary, so that when things go wrong learners, parents and educators can bring that to the management of the school, the SGB and SMT so that this can be addressed adequately before an issue escalates into violence happening at a school when it shouldn’t happen at all,” the investigator said.
He also recommended that disciplinary processes against identified and newly identified learners proceed.
Other recommendations include the school implementing diversity programmes and training for different learners to understand each other better and not necessitate violence and fighting.
Enslin said diversity programmes and training would help people from different backgrounds to better understand each other and each other’s cultures.
“We underestimated the cruelty of apartheid because we didn’t know each other, and it was a system that thrived on the basis of ignorance, so to just put people in one room and say dance together and sing together is not easy. It’s a process that needs to be managed, and therefore the diversity training recommendation is crucial,” Lesufi said.
The investigator added that it would be unfair to name the implicated people and that their names were not shared due to the sensitive nature of this case.
Lesufi confirmed that the department wrote a letter to the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to probe the allegations of racism at the school and others in the province.
“The SAHRC is still busy with the investigation, but the principal confirmed to me that they gave him a deadline of May 23 to submit certain documents and information to conclude their report,” the MEC said.
Lesufi added that the report from Specialised Security Services and the SAHRC would together assist the department develop a way forward to deal with the issues at the school in a final report.
The department added that it noticed that some learners in the school had been displaying ill-mannered behaviour and disrespecting educators since the incident occurred.
Lesufi emphasised that such conduct would not be tolerated in Gauteng schools and urged parents to instil discipline in their children.