Brackenfell High saga fuels racial tensions
By Daniel Itai, Cape Town, South Africa
Last weekend’s Brackenfell High School matric valedictory has since sparked some racial tensions as the farewell party only saw white learners in attendance.
Yesterday some members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), went to protest outside the premises of the school over the noninvolvement of black learners at the party which later turned into a brutal scuffle between EFF protesters and some parents of the learners.
However, the school and the Western Cape’s MEC for Education, Debbie Schäefer, have since argued that the valedictory was a private function that was not organised by the school hence, people can’t be told whom to invite. The MEC said:
“A group of parents and learners organised a private event, a farewell for the matric students and not more than four teachers were in attendance. Moreover, The Principal wasn’t in attendance and 42 learners only attended out of the 245 matriculants.
More so, if we start telling people how to run their private parties then that would be going a dangerous road. I am not going to speculate why certain teachers were invited this incident has raised a whole number of issues people do invite teachers. Moreover, if it was a party conducted by the school then there would be concerns but it was a private party so we can’t tell people who to invite at their party.”
In addition, the MEC said it was everyone’s Constitutional right to protest but disputed the use of violence during protests.
“People have the Constitutional right to protest if that’s peaceful. Violence is not acceptable and I don’t condone it let’s let matric learners write their exams,” added the MEC.
However, the EFF has since said the reason why they were carrying the protest was as a result of some parents who approached them over the issue of having their children left out of the valedictory. The EFF has also said it is going to descend at the school in their numbers over the issue.
@danielItai_zw
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