Tshwane parents bemoan racism “pandemic” in schools

Parents demonstrating against racism at Die Wilgers High School in Tshwane have accused the school of prioritising its reputation over the humanity of black learners.

The parents, who say there is a pandemic of racism at Tshwane schools, have accused the education department of failing to address the increasingly concerning situation.

YNews spoke with the father of a 14-year-old girl, who was called the K-word by two boys at the school.

In an emotional interview, Tshepiso Ramosolo said that by transferring his daughter out of the school, Department of Basic Education (DBE) officials have shown that she doesn’t belong there.

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He slammed the school for disregarding his daughter’s humanity for fear of losing sponsors or reputational damage.

The father claims his daughter was admitted to a psychiatric hospital after struggling to come to terms with the racist utterances.

He added that the trauma of having to confront her perpetrators at school daily, further heightened the teenager’s anxiety leading to a psychiatric recommendation that she be transferred.

The teenager’s parents say it’s not fair that the boys at the centre of the storm have been allowed to continue with their lives as normal, while the young girl’s life has been uprooted.

The aggrieved parents say that as long as the government fails to address racism in schools, violent hate crimes will continue to spread unabated.

The learner’s aunt, Masentle Ramosolo, says that as long as incidents of racism are tolerated or swept under the rug, the country will never fully heal from apartheid.

She described how her niece’s schoolwork was negatively impacted due to bullying, causing her to miss her June exams.

Community leader, Felicia April, says by keeping the perpetrators in the school, the institution has failed not only black children but also society as a whole.

“When kids normally bully, there is a bigger problem. Did the school even make means to find out where the behaviour has come from?” she said.

“If we keep covering the problem up, then tomorrow we are sitting with two white kids that go around killing black children,” she added.

The community leaders have emphasised that another young life cannot be lost to suicide due to the disturbing racism allegations.

They’re demanding that the young men be held accountable as a stern warning to others.

The Department of Basic Education has since confirmed that one of the alleged perpetrators is a repeat offender and has been expelled, while the other boy has been given a warning.

Department spokesperson, Steve Mabona, said they are engaging with the school and parents to mediate the incident.

He’s urged parents to engage officials directly, adding that it’s unfortunate that demonstrations have caused exam disruptions.