Roedean School SA Head Phuti Mogale Resigns Amid King David Linksfield Match Controversy

• The leadership of a prominent Johannesburg girls’ school has changed abruptly following intense public scrutiny
• A disputed inter-school tennis fixture triggered national debate around religion, discrimination and accountability in private education
• Community organisations and governing bodies have become involved as questions mount over how the matter was handled behind closed doors

Several media reports have confirmed the resignation of the principal of Roedean School SA, Phuti Mogale, following the tennis row between the school and King David Linksfield, which dominated headlines last week.

The development comes after an audio recording went viral, indicating that the tennis fixture between the two schools had not been cancelled due to a scheduling challenge. Initial reports alleged that Roedean had refused to play against King David because it is a Jewish school. The fixture was set to be played on 3 February 2026.

The claims that Roedeean is anti-semitic have sparked widespread outrage, with many condemning the alleged anti-semitic behaviour as unacceptable. It now appears the school head, Mogale, has stepped down amid mounting pressure and public scrutiny.

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The school has also apologised to King David School after the incident that continues to rear its ugly head. Some sections of the public have condemned the move that saw the Principal being forced out, and condemned the school board.

@SihleNxumz:

"Saddened by the resignation of Roedean head, Phuti Mogale. This feels less about accountability and more about scapegoating. Being forced to resign under pressure is ludicrous, whose voices were protected? Nonetheless we wish her well and thank her for her service to the school.''

@TheJaundicedEye:

''Roedean not only lied. It showed that an elite Anglican school is ready to pander to the worst populist pressures of anti-Jewish activists. A complete lack of moral courage.''

Roedean School head resignation follows match controversy

According to the Jewish Board of Deputies, which spoke to Newsday, King David School informed its parent body about the incident and continued engaging with ISASA and Roedean in an effort to address the matter.

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The board condemned what it described as blatant prejudice, alleging that Roedean had refused to honour the scheduled fixture against the King David girls’ team. It said the alleged refusal to play Jewish learners was deeply upsetting for the tennis players involved and sent a troubling message that hate and discrimination had become acceptable values at the school. The board added that it was aware of the matter and was looking into it.

Audio recording fuels King David Linksfield dispute

According to News24, the recording suggested that the match was cancelled after certain parents objected to their team playing against what they described as a “Jewish school”. King David has maintained that parental pressure led to the cancellation. Roedean, however, has denied the allegations and insisted it remains committed to diversity and inclusivity.

In the recorded conversation, the embattled principal of Roedean, Mogale, is allegedly heard indicating that some parents were opposed to the match on religious grounds. This further intensified claims that prejudice, rather than scheduling conflicts, influenced the decision.

The issue escalated further after a social media post by The Friends of Israel Facebook page claimed that Mogale had resigned with immediate effect. The school has yet to issue an official statement confirming the resignation. Efforts were made by Briefly News to obtain comment from the school and from Mogale, but no response had been received at the time of publication.

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Meanwhile, The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD)released a statement after the school's apology. The statement was issued by Guteng Chair Danny Mofsowitz;

''Roedean has issued an apology for its refusal to participate in a tennis match against King David, a Jewish School. King David has accepted this apology as a closure to this incident. The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) has worked closely with the South African Board of Jewish Education (SABJE) throughout this matter and welcomes Roedean's apology.

'' We look forward to Roedean acting on their commitment to turn this unfortunate incident into a meaningful learning opportunity for the entire school community. Antisemitism has no place in our country.''

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Source: Briefly News