Roodepoort Primary School closed: community of Davidsonville objects to "Black Nationalism being forced down their throats' with the appointment of a new headmaster and her two deputies...
Davidsonville Roodepoort - story by Riaan van Zyl -- The Public Order unit of the South African Police was sent to the Roodepoort Primary School in Roodepoort on 17 February 2015,
reports Roodepoort Record journalist Riaan van Zyl.
The school is closed and tensions are rising after the community, represented by the Davidsonville Community Forum, raised objections to the appointment of a new headmaster and her two deputies who, they claim,
are promoters of 'black nationalism' and forcing pupils to submit to this. The community does not want 'black nationalism forced down their throats', it is being said.
The problem kicked off from February 2014 when attempts were made to appoint a new female headmaster and two deputies.
Negotiations were launched between the DCF and Panyaza Lesufi of the Department of Education's executive council.
He had promised to appoint a commission to investigate the issue, which also includes persistent complaints of fraud and the 'selling of top posts' by ANC-executives.
By December matters had deteriorated badly when the commission issued a report which, in the view of the Davidsonville Community Forum, had
'deliberately diverted the issues and didn't deal with the matters at hand'.
When the school reopened in January this year, the remaining black teachers complained of the 'constant presence of members of the DCF on the school grounds who kept an eye out to make sure that the unwanted headmaster and her two deputies didn't get snuck in behind their backs.
They claimed that they were feeling intimidated - and shortly thereafter one teacher quit and lodged their complaints with the district council.
DCF-member Theo van Rensburg said they were tipped off on Monday-morning that the public order unit of the police was sent to the school.
Van Rensburg said strong suspicions that the original three black senior teachers - the appointed headmaster and his two deputies -- would still be showing up at the school despite their objections.
This suspicion was correct, he said, when the three, together with nine other teachers, showed up at the primary school, demanding to be re-appointed to 'their jobs'.
The DCF said the 'teachers are welcome, but not the unwanted headmaster nor his two deputies'.
"Scuffels erupted between the two opposing groups and the Public Order unit had to intervene.
Van Rensburg said the Davidsonville Community Forum's objections were completely undermined.
"The Department of Education now will have to negotiate directly with the unhappy community about the matter.
The case is being escalated by taking it to the office of the Minister of Education.
The school meanwhile is closed and no education is taking place.
The Roodepoort Record reports that by Wednesday, 'there still was a visible police presence in the streets of Davidsonville.
A copy of the forum's letter was published detailing their grievances and why they have now withdrawn from the ill-fated 'negotiation process'.
http://roodepoortrecord.co.za/2015/02/18/openbare-orde-polisie-by-skool-ontplooi/
↧