WATCH | Pretoria High School principal was aware of racism scandal but did nothing – MEC

Racism

Pretoria — The principal of Pretoria Girls High School is being investigated after Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, revealed she knew about the alleged racism at the school but failed to act.

Chiloane said that the school’s principal, Philippa Erasmus, was suspended for three months and was barred from speaking to any staff, parents or learners. The decision cames after the school announced the suspension of 12 learners, including eight prefects after new racial evidence was discovered.

According to EWN, Chiloane said that Erasmus was aware of the whites-only WhatsApp group that was created to share racist comments. He confirmed that a preliminary investigation indicated that Erasmus found out about the group in 2023 but did nothing about it.

The department said further investigation will take place over the next three months and that the department will provide support to the 12 suspended students, some of them matriculants who who will write their preliminary exams.

Chiloane added that the department was working on implementing a social cohesion programme at the school.

“What we see is that there is an underlying problem within the school. There are deep-rooted racial undertones that we are picking up because of these things that are coming up. It’s not all learners or the whole school, but there are a few elements,” he said.

According to a podcast interview on SABC News, the General Secretary of the National Association of School Governing Bodies, Matakhanye Matakanye, said the decision was the right one and felt that she should not make a return to the school.

“When it comes to the principal, we feel that she must not come back anymore. She must be fired because we learnt that this principal has been knowing this thing for the last two years and she has done nothing.”

He said that this behaviour was a refusal to accept the new South Africa. He also called for the list of the children’s names to be published to condemn the parents and to say that there was no place for remnants of racism in the country.

Diversity specialist, Teresa Oakley-Smith, said that the principal should not be let go but should undergo a thorough investigation and help people understand the nuances of this sort of behaviour.

“Before we rush in with an immediate reaction and suspend right, left and centre, let us do a thorough investigation to really understand. I wonder if people understand what micro-aggressions are (that these people are accused of),” she said.

She added that it would make more sense to do a thorough investigation with people who understand diversity, equity and inclusion and based on that, prepare an intervention that will include workshops, mentoring and coaching on different forms of discrimination.

“I just fear that, in immediately suspending without having done a very thorough investigation, we’re putting the cart before the horse, and this is not a good principle. I’m saying we need to do a lot of work and the government has done very little in 30 years,” she said.

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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