Hoërskool Jan Viljoen Learners Experience Racial Tension, Police Fire Rubber Bullets to Disperse Parents

• Last Friday, a fight broke out between white and black learners at Hoërskool Jan Viljoen and was believed to be racially motivated
• Today, parents stood outside the school to show zero tolerance for the incident, but the parents stood along racial lines
• Panyaza Lesufi, the Gauteng MEC for Education, visited the school to address parents and find out what steps the school has taken

RANDFONTEIN - This morning (14 February), the parents of Hoërskool Jan Viljoen in Randfontein gathered outside the school following a racist incident between pupils on Friday (11 February).

The parents stood in racial groups with visible tension between them. Finally, the police were called to intervene and fired rubber bullets in an effort to disperse the angry crowd of parents.

The provincial MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, visited the school and addressed the parents. Lesufi applauded the parents for demonstrating zero tolerance to racism and said that South Africa belongs to everyone in it. Therefore, no one group should be seen as more significant than another, eNCA reports.

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Details of the fight and Lesufi's response

According to EWN, the incident allegedly took the form of a fight between white and black learners and is believed to have racist intentions. During Lesufi's visit, he enquired what measures this school has taken against the racist pupils who instigated the fight.

“Violence, for whatever reason, does not belong in our schools and the perpetrators will face the necessary disciplinary action," the MEC said.

The provincial education department has condemned the incident and called it unacceptable. They added that together with Lesufi, they would decide what the best course of action is.

South Africans react to racist incident at Hoërskool Jan Viljoen

@Maqhawe_Ngubane remarked:

"This is alarming."

@WithPSAF believes:

"I honestly would never take my child to an Afrikaans medium school as a black person. I went to English medium schools and that is the number standard for me. I want to raise international babies. There's nothing there for them."

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@princecloete shared:

"Apartheid is long dead. But seemingly some still think that they are superior to the rest of us. Racism must fall."

@ThapeloMalete_ said:

"Kids become racists because of their parents' attitude towards the other races."

@jasminejabari shared:

"Educate racist people."

Stellenbosch University investigate the use of the k-word by residence head

Speaking of racism at educational institutions, Briefly News previously reported that Stellenbosch University had begun an investigation into the alleged use word of the k-word on campus by a residence head.

University spokesperson Martin Viljoen said that the institution’s equality unit had started an investigation after being alerted to the incident. A residence head allegedly used the word while explaining what kind of language is unacceptable.

The university understands that the word was not used as a racial slur but was used in a specific context that dealt with instruction on acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, and language was considered on campus.

Source: Briefly News