North West MEC Must Apologise to Schweizer-Reneke Teacher After SAHRC Clears Of Racism in 2019 Incident

• The Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke teacher who was accused of racism in 2019 has been cleared by the SAHRC
• Outrage was sparked when a photograph showed black and white Grade R children sitting at separate tables
• The SAHRC found that the incident wasn't racist because the kids weren't separated based on race but on language

NORTH WEST - The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has cleared the Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke teacher of racism after she was falsely accused by former North West Education MEC Sello Lehari in 2019.

Now the current MEC must apologise to Elana Barkhuizen for his predecessor's conduct in exposing the teacher's identity, which the SAHRC found put Elana's life in danger.

Barkhuizen first made headlines four years ago when a picture showing Grade R students separated by race was leaked online and sparked outrage nationwide.

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Allegations that Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke practised racial segregation spread like wildfire and Barkhuizen was suspended for having taken the picture.

According to News24, it was revealed that the photograph was not of Barkhuizen's class and the children weren't separated based on race but based on the children's language needs.

The SAHRC said that it could not substantiate that the four children were unfairly discriminated against, but conceded the fact that children were allegedly treated differently on the basis of language which amounted to discrimination, Jacaranda FM reported.

The Chapter 9 institution concluded that, though the pupils were discriminated against, it was not the result of racism but a result of unconscious racial profiling and a lack of policy supporting integration.

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South Africans weigh in on the SAHRC clearing the Schweizer-Reneke teacher

@MmuiWabatho claimed:

"That teacher Elana Barkhuizen who separated black kids from white kids in school is racist. Racism has various forms."

@pete77022741 said:

"I hope she takes this racist to court and takes every single cent he has."

@DikelaNoni7 suggested:

"The next step for the teacher is to approach the court of law."

@BernievNiekerk asked:

"What about the damage that the race-baiting politician, who has now conveniently moved on, caused?"

@ntjiscloset commented:

Suffering from Stockholm syndrome does not mean you aren’t oppressed.

Water expert praised for speaking up on racism after Maselspoort racist incident: “This is amazing!” SA lauded

In another story, Briefly News reported that a water resource scientist's Twitter thread on racism has won the hearts of many South Africans. Carin Bosman posted the thread in the aftermath of the infamous Maselspoort racist incident.

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The incident occurred when a group of white men violently attacked two black teenagers for swimming in a pool that they claimed was reserved for white people.

Bosman tweeted in her extensive thread that Afrikaans people need to educate themselves about South Africa's painful history if they wanted a better future for the nation.

Source: Briefly News