The FF Plus wants to know why the Gauteng Department of Education is concealing an independent investigation report on a so-called “racial incident” at Jan Viljoen High School.
The party on 2 December 2022, requested the new MEC for Education, Mr MK Chiloane, to look into the matter.
Chiloane did not respond, which creates the impression that the Department and the then MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, have something to hide.
Earlier during a Legislature session, Lesufi gave the FF Plus the assurance that the report will be made available to the party. But it was not.
The FF Plus has sent numerous fruitless queries to the Department in this regard. At first, the Department’s response was that it first wants an opportunity to examine the report. After that, all queries were simply ignored.
The FF Plus gathers that the report apparently found that no white learner instigated any racial incident at the school, but that a certain political party created the incident.
As a result of the incident, though, a white Afrikaner family had to take their children out of the school and flee Randfontein because their lives were in danger.
The animosity was exacerbated by Lesufi who paid a visit to the school one day after the incident.
In addressing mostly black learners and parents, he singled out a white Afrikaans learner and his mother by name as the guilty parties in the matter.
He did this even though an investigation had not been conducted and in contradiction to his own words that the Human Rights Commission (HRC) ought to investigate the matter.
The FF Plus interceded on behalf of the family by submitting their version of events, with witness testimonies, to the HRC so that a finding can be made against Lesufi.
The FF Plus is, furthermore, assisting the family with instituting legal action against the Department of Education and Lesufi.
It is vital to study the independent investigation report so that the HRC can make its final decision.
The FF Plus has already submitted written questions to get hold of the report. If the party keeps being ignored, a formal application will be brought in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Adv Anton Alberts on FF Plus
