By Thapelo Molefe
Roedean School has denied allegations of antisemitism after a dispute over a forfeited tennis fixture with King David Linksfield drew condemnation from the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD), which accused the Johannesburg girls’ school of discriminatory conduct.
The dispute centres on an inter-school tennis fixture scheduled for 3 February 2026. Roedean said it formally notified King David Linksfield on 2 February that it would be unable to field a team because of prior academic commitments, including compulsory workshops, and requested either a postponement or cancellation.
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Roedean said King David Linksfield acknowledged the communication and confirmed the fixture would be recorded as a forfeit in line with protocol, adding that, as a result, no formal fixture was scheduled to take place on the day in question.
The school’s response followed the circulation of a voice note, described by Roedean as “allegedly recorded by a senior teacher at King David Linksfield”, which accuses Roedean of antisemitic conduct linked to the forfeiture. Roedean said it conducted an internal review and found the claims to be incorrect.
“Roedean confirms that the contents of the voice note are factually incorrect and do not reflect the documented sequence of events,” the school said in a statement signed by chairman Dale Quaker.
“We reject unequivocally any allegation of anti-Semitism or discriminatory conduct.”
Roedean said it has a long-standing inter-school relationship with King David Linksfield and has participated in numerous events with the school over many years.
It also said it is engaging directly with King David Linksfield and the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA) to ensure the matter is properly understood and handled through the appropriate processes.
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However, the SAJBD issued a sharply worded statement condemning Roedean’s decision, describing the forfeiture as a discriminatory refusal to play a Jewish school.
“This disturbing refusal to play Jewish learners is deeply upsetting for the Jewish tennis players, but also conveys the message that hate and discrimination have become acceptable values at Roedean,” said the chairperson of SAJBD Gauteng Council, Danny Mofsowitz.
The SAJBD accused Roedean of violating constitutional principles and undermining the unifying role of sport.
“Roedean cannot claim to be guided by a strong set of values and principles when they clearly violate the basic tenets of South Africa’s Constitution,” Mofsowitz said.
“Sport has the potential to unite and harness diversity but regrettably, Roedean flouted that opportunity by boycotting the Jewish school.”
King David School has informed its parent body about the incident and said it is continuing to engage with ISASA and Roedean to address the matter. Roedean, for its part, urged caution about debating the dispute publicly while those engagements are under way.
“We recognise that situations of this nature can cause concern and discomfort within school communities,” Quaker said.
“In light of these engagements, it would be inappropriate to debate or litigate the facts publicly at this stage.”
The SAJBD said it would work closely with the South African Board of Jewish Education to address the “serious” incident, while both parties indicated that ISASA processes would be used to bring clarity and resolve the dispute.
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