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“This was all a witch-hunt” – a teacher from Klipspruit West Secondary School

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“This was all a witch-hunt” – a teacher from Klipspruit West Secondary School

Thabo Mohlala

So racially toxic was the situation at Klipspruit West Secondary School that a learner took his own life after a heated altercation with one of the teachers.

This was one of the revelations shared by Khaphane Moloi, one of the four teachers who bore the brunt of the alleged racist treatment by some parents at the school.

“He (the learner) had an altercation with a teacher at the school. I am not sure if he was wrong but he felt slighted when he was singled out and told not to set foot the following Monday. He does not have parents. And that Monday he hanged himself. I strongly feel his suicide could have been as a result of racism that manifested itself at school,” Moloi said.

Another teacher, Fallon Murhombo, said she gets on well with her coloured learners and they were always worried about her safety. “They informed me beforehand that I must be careful as there will be lockout of black teachers,” she said

Her colleague, Flora Sibidla, said this was a witch-hunt targeted at black teachers. “I mean they accuse us of the very same things that our coloured colleagues also do. Yet they single us out. In the end, we are human and we do slip here and there,” said an agitated Sibidla.

David Vuma, also a teacher, told the hearing that tension at school was instigated by outside elements. He said it was an open secret that Patriots for Equality (PfE) and the Eldorado Park Business Forum captured the school.

“The whole thing revolves around [their] business interests. They have been having things their way and they felt threatened by the appointment of a black principal,” said Vuma.

He tore into Rita Davis, who testified before them.

“I used to greet her and actually took her as my mother. But I cannot anymore after I saw her other [racist] side,” said Vuma.

He said contrary to parents’ claims since he joined the school ten years ago he always produced good results.

“I am not bragging they know that,” said Vuma.

Earlier in her submission, Davis – a former school governing body member before Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, dissolved the structure – contradicted herself several times.

“The community was concerned that the “rotten” black teachers at the school would take advantage if a principal was appointed”, she said.

Asked if she was not opposing the appointment of the black principal, Davis said: “From my knowledge, there were 29 applications and 11 were coloured but there was not even one coloured for an interview or shortlisting.”

“Do you mean the appointed candidate should have been coloured? Davis answered ‘No”.

In its testimony, early in the morning, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) also blamed the racial flare up at the school on Patriots for Equality.

Moses Maluleke and Desmond Luvhengo (Sadtu’s regional secretary and branch chairperson) respectively, made submissions. They said the group started the disruptions in 2015 at Roodepoort Primary School in Davidsonville – another majority-coloured residential area.

“This group seems to be advancing their own interest by strategically using schools as battlegrounds. They know that disruption of learning and teaching will force the authorities to listen to them. Yet they raise issues that are completely unrelated to education,” said Maluleke.

He said after causing chaos at Roodepoort Primary School the group then went to Noordgesig and now “resurfaced again in Klipspruit”.

“Our observation some of their members have business interest as they always insist that all school-based projects should be given to the locals. What is more, some of them do not have children at the school. So, on what basis do they come and disrupt learning and teaching here at KWSS?” asked Maluleke.

Luvhengo said: “racism is rife in the area making it very difficult for one to work there”.

Referring to the disputed appointment of the principal, Luvhego said, every time a black African teacher was up for promotion, the Patriots for Equality objected. He said he and a Naptosa representative observed the appointment process and were satisfied everything went well. He said during the interview, the deputy-chairperson of the panel excused himself because he wanted a coloured candidate to score more point because it was “their territory”. 

But the audience was surprised when Sadtu delegation vehemently rejected the infamous “Vat Alles” slogan, which has always been associated with Sadtu. It is believed this was Sadtu’s deliberate strategy of ensuring that its members were appointed to top positions across the entire education system. The recent ‘Jobs for pals’ scandal, which implicated some members of the union, is directly linked to this position.

“We know nothing about that, it doesn’t exist. To us this is just an attempt by PfE (Patriots for Equality) to discredit Sadtu and inflame the emotions of the community,” said Maluleke.

Maluleke said they regretted withdrawing their members from the schools: “The decision was taken out of frustration after parents locked out our members. It was a reaction out of anger and a need for security,” said Maluleke.

Kago Moeng didn’t die immediately says Busisiwe Seabe

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Kago Moeng didn’t die immediately says Busisiwe Seabe

Bonile Khanyi

The 19-year-old student who allegedly died from suicide in Braamfontein did not die on impact. This is according to student activist Busisiwe Seabe who was there when Kago Moeng allegedly jumped from the 6th floor of a Braamfontein student accommodation block on Saturday night.

Seabe told Power FM’s Iman Rappetti on Monday morning that the Wits University student was alive after she hit the ground and died while bystanders waited for an ambulance to arrive.

“The most upsetting part is that when she landed on the ground she was still alive. It took an ambulance over an hour to arrive. Even the manner South Point (student accommodation) handled this matter was not to the best of their ability because there was a lot that they could have done, Kago had been up on the balcony for approximately two hours before she had jumped,” Seabe said.

Speaking to Inside Education Police spokesperson Kay Makhubela confirmed the incident and said that the police were investigating the circumstances behind the alleged suicide.

“A 19-year-old girl who was a student at Wits threw herself out the window from the 6th floor in Braamfontein where she died instantly. The motive of the incident at the moment is not known, but a case has been opened,” said Makhubela.

Some bystanders are said to have jeered at Moeng and shouted for her to jump because she was seeking attention.

Her family, friends and fellow students have taken to social media to share their grief and offer their condolences.

The Wits Student Representative Council (SRC) also expressed their shock and said: “The unspoken pressure on students at our institutions at our institutions are becoming prevalent and the current measures in place are grossly inefficient.”

“So many of our students live in external accommodation and are at risk of these kinds of incidents.”

Wits university said it was saddened by the incident and was in contact with the student’s family.

The university also urged anyone with any further information on the matter to contact the police and Wits security so that it can be investigated.

The Economic Freedom Fighters at Wits held a night vigil at the Great Hall on campus on Sunday night to honour the life of Moeng.

Youth unemployment keeps rising because industry, tertiary institutions and government work separately

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Youth unemployment keeps rising because industry, tertiary institutions and government work separately

Thabo Mohlala

Lack of collaboration between industry and tertiary institutions, as well as, the failure of the government to incentivise business to offer apprenticeships to graduates, are some of the main reasons the country is failing to make a dent in youth unemployment.

With the country joblessness rate continuing to climb, the future looks bleak for most young South Africans. In the first quarter of 2017, according to Statistics South Africa, the unemployment rate hit 27.7 % mark with over 3.3 million young people constituting the bulk of this figure. Even worse is the fact that the vast majority of them have university degrees.

It is not uncommon to see young graduates using major road intersections as strategic sites to market themselves carrying big banners emblazoned with words shouting: “I have a degree in engineering, please give me a job or “hire me, I am qualified”, among others. Early this year frustrated unemployed graduates, resplendent in their graduate regalia, staged peaceful protests at nine points around the Eastern Cape.

Recently, Lilian Bususu, National Graduate Manager at the Independent Institute of Education, reflected on the reasons behind the stubbornly high statistics behind the graduates’ state of joblessness and also explored possible solutions. She was a guest on Talk Radio 702’s The Eusebius McKaiser Show.

Bususu said the problem of growing unemployment is not unique to South Africa but a global phenomenon. She said while some employers are looking to hire young people they also look at the quality of the qualifications of who they employ. She reckoned that the situation may worsen if the country’s economy continues to contract as it will limit the capacity of the market to grow and create new job opportunities.

However, she said, the primary reason industry is incapable to absorb sufficient numbers of graduates is the mismatch between their qualifications and what the market requires. Bususu said this is exacerbated by poor coordination between industry, institutions of higher learning and the government.

“There is pushback from industry which blames tertiary institutions for not producing graduates with requisite skills-set. But the institutions also feel the blame is misplaced as the industry should also step up to the plate and engage the institutions in terms of how they should structure their curricula,” said Bususu.

She said it is wrong of industry to sit back and expect universities to produce certain types of skills while they do not engage or give feedback to tertiary institutions regarding what skills they require.

Bususu said when the two critical sectors work in silos it is the youth or graduates who suffer as they anticipate to get employed. But she also highlighted the need for graduates to package themselves so they appeal to potential employers.

“Some of them feel entitled to a job simply on the basis that they have a degree,” said Bususu, adding that often graduates get so idealistic and when they cannot get employed, they feel dejected. She said each graduate should strive to beat off the stiff competition from their counterparts.

She said although some companies offer internships to graduates most of them do not have a retention strategy and in the end, graduates are left out in the cold.

“My experience is that some of the companies just want to tick BEE boxes without making serious attempts to absorb or help the kids to find decent jobs,” said Bususu.

She said some of these companies are just not prepared to invest their time and resources to develop youths. They would rather focus on developing their own internal talent and expertise. Bususu advised graduates not to underestimate the significance of acquiring soft skills such as how to do desktop research, put together an appealing CV, prepare for a job interview and handle it. She said these are essential in improving their opportunities to be considered.

Industry, tertiary institutions and the government to work together and develop strategies that could help reduce the sky-rocketing youth unemployment particularly among graduates, said Bususu.

Panyaza Lesufi: We must never get tired of fighting racism

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Panyaza Lesufi: We must never get tired of fighting racism

Thabo Mohlala

Gauteng education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, and his senior officials were grilled yesterday during the third day of the hearing into racism in Eldorado Park and the surrounding communities. This follows disruptions of schooling at Klipspruit West Secondary School  widely believed to be fuelled by racism.

Lesufi had to answer to submissions made by residents during the two-day hearings held early this week in Eldorado Park. Most residents accused Lesufi’s department of racism for appointing a principal who they argue was unqualified. They also accused the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) of failing to dismiss Black teachers who allegedly racially abused the coloured learners.

Lesufi was asked to explain the procedure followed to appoint the principal. He told the hearing that the process to fill vacant posts in all schools is handled by the school governing bodies (SGBs), who appoint a panel to select, interview and recommend the person they consider suitable for the position. Once they were satisfied, the SGBs would send the information to the district office and then finally forward to the Head of Department (HoD) for a final decision, Lesufi outlined. He said the SGB at KWSS followed all the necessary steps required to make an appointment.

Patriots for Equality, a community organisation, charged that the appointment of the principal was irregular because she ranked third on the list of the recommended candidates. They wanted a coloured teacher appointed because they felt they were being marginalised in their own space. Lesufi said race had never been a criterion when they appointed teachers and what they always looked for commitment and competency.

In defence of the decision to appoint the principal ranked third on the list, the GDE’s HoD, Edward Mosuwe, said they did not look only at the points scored to make an appointment.

“Points are just but some of the variables that we consider when we make a decision regarding the appointment,” said Mosuwe. He told the commission that HoDs have the power to appoint a person even if he or she scored low points. “But this can only be done provided there are valid reasons for the decision,” he added.

The community also alleged that Lesufi’s department treated members of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) with kid gloves. Four Sadtu members are facing disciplinary action and the community has called on the department to remove them from the school.

“You reacted swiftly to incidences of racism and other disturbances elsewhere, why are you dragging your feet on this matter,” one commissioner put to Lesufi.

The MEC refuted the claim that his department sided with Sadtu, saying the district office is busy with disciplinary measures against teachers. He said legally their hands were tied as they could not take action against the teachers without following the normal disciplinary process.

“The principle of innocent until proven guilty applies in this instance,” Lesufi said.

But he said the situation in Eldorado Park was complicated as they had to address concerns from the community and Sadtu members.

“We were dealing with an impasse and we had to choose a middle ground to ensure we safeguard the interests of the learners. Had we expelled the four teachers we risked collapsing the entire education system in the whole of Soweto,” said Lesufi.

He also dismissed the accusation that his department is unwilling to eradicate schools built with asbestos materials. Lesufi said there are 29 schools in the province built of asbestos and their target is to eradicate them by 2021. “We prioritise these schools because asbestos poses very serious health hazards. At the moment the focus is on no-fees schools,” said Lesufi.

He said the complaint that children from Soweto are crowding out the local learners is “selfish”. “I have instructed my HoD to ensure that no child is denied schooling.

“You can’t deny children an opportunity to learn just because they come from a different residential area. Whose child should be turned away?” asked Lesufi. He said even if there was over-crowding, every child should be allowed to be at school, adding “they are better off within the school than outside”.

Klipspruit West Secondary School is currently run by officials seconded by the district office and the situation has calmed down markedly. The department has since taken grade 12 learners to a special matric camp to help them prepare for the final examinations. Grade 9, 10, and 11 learners also received catch up lessons. 

Sadtu will make submissions at the hearings on Friday.

Well done on gender transformation UJ, work harder on race now

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Well done on gender transformation UJ, work harder on race now

Bonile Khanyi

The Commission for Gender Equality found that females occupy at least 48% of senior management positions at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).

This was revealed on Tuesday, when the university’s senior management appeared before the commission on gender transformation at institutions of higher learning.

During his presentation on Tuesday, UJ’s outgoing Vice-Chancellor Professor Ihron Rensburg also revealed that of the 1101 academic staff at the university, 527 were women compared to 574 men.

Further adding that of the 3010 support-staff, 1538 were women and 1472 were men.

Speaking to Inside Education on Thursday, the commission’s spokesperson Javu Baloyi said compared to the other universities the commission has seen so far, UJ has done extremely well.

However, the commission said despite making progress in terms of gender transformation, the University still has a long way to go in addressing its racial makeup to reflect the population of South Africa.

“The University is showing progress in terms of gender transformation but certain areas need to be looked at and mechanisms be put in place as well as policies to be tightened up to realize gender equality,” the commission said.

The commission also commended the university for dealing with reported Sexual Harassment and Gender Based Violent (GBV) cases effectively.

This comes after the university revealed that the number of reported cases in student affairs were 11 and 8 in employment relations.

The commission said it notes the response provided by the institution and applauds the university for the initiative taken to address GBV.

The commission has heard presentations from the University of Pretoria, North West University, University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Tshwane University of Technology.

Baloyi said the commission will be hosting the University of Stellenbosch (US) and Rhodes University next.

 

They call our children “coloured bastards” — Klipspruit West Secondary School former SGB member

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They call our children “coloured bastards” — Klipspruit West Secondary School former SGB member

Thabo Mohlala

The problems underlying the disruption of teaching and learning at the beleaguered Klipspruit West Secondary School go deeper than what they seem on the surface. This became clear yesterday when residents made submissions to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) hearings held at JD Opperman Hall in Eldorado Park.

The hearings are being held as part of interventions by Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to address the perceived racism behind the disruption of teaching and learning at the school in July. The hearings also seek to examine how the racist incidents occur, what their underlying causes are and more importantly the impact racism is having on an effective learning and teaching environment.

The first person to make a submission was Maureen Moremi, a teacher at a local Eldoraigne High School. She said black teachers at the school experience racism from school management. She said the environment at the school is such that the prospects for black teachers to grow and get promotions are very slim. Asked if she experienced the same treatment from the community, learners and parents, Moremi said surprisingly she gets on well with them. She said the racist attitude was confined only to the upper echelons of the school management. Her assertion that the school practises racism targeted at black teachers drew murmurs of disapproval from the predominantly elderly audience.

Moremi was followed by a Mrs Matthews who said she used to be a school governing body member at Klispruit West Secondary. In her submission, she denied there were disruptions at the school as it was only black teachers who stayed away while their coloured counterparts continued teaching.

“They decided to embark on go-slow instead of teaching. Our children were suffering at the hands of Black teachers and what more when a black principal is appointed. Some of them called our children ‘coloured bastards’. Things will get worse,” Matthews said to rousing applause.

She said she strongly believed that a coloured teacher was suitable for the position. Asked if this was not consistent with a racist attitude, she emphatically denied it, saying this is how she and the community feel, a remark that drew another round of applause. She said she could not be racist because she is married to a black man.

Charmaine Arendse, an ex-teacher, told the commission that the blame for what happened at Klipspruit West High School should be put squarely at the door of GDE. “They failed us; we have been neglected as Eldorado Park community. MEC Panyaza Lesufi only comes when there is a crisis,” said Arendse.

She said most schools in the area experienced a number of challenges such as; over-crowding, lack of resources and other related social ills. “And the department never attends to them,” she said.  

The hearings then took a political tone when representatives of the Patriots of Equality made their submission. The organisation gained prominence during the stand-off at Klipspruit West Secondary School when they mobilised residents as they felt the Coloured community was marginalised. Stanley Jacobs and Jackie Mthombeni, the organisation’s general secretary, made joint submissions.

Jacobs’ submission focused on the role of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) members at the school. He said the government was afraid to act against the union even when there was evidence they engaged in disruptive activities. “They do as they please and nothing happens to them. When is the government going ever going to act against them?  That is the question we are asking, said Jacobs. He said members of the union were behind the disruptions of learning and teaching at the school.

“They do as they please and nothing happens to them. When is the government ever going to act against them?  That is the question we are asking”, said Jacobs. He said members of the union were behind the disruptions of learning and teaching at the school.

Mthombeni told the hearing that they wanted to dispel the notion that they were racist because of their opposition to the appointment of a black principal at the school.

“For the record, we didn’t oppose the appointment of a black person, what we were against was the way the appointment process was handled. We wanted the best. The lady who was appointed came third in terms of scoring. But she was appointed regardless and we later discovered she got the job because she is believed to be a friend to one of the Sadtu members,” said Mthombeni. She said this explained the reason the union encouraged its members at the school to refuse to teach.

Hearings continue on Thursday at the City of Johannesburg Council Chambers, 158 Civic Boulevard, Braamfontein, where Lesufi and the senior provincial officials are expected to make submissions.

Learners who don’t return tablets and textbooks could face criminal charges

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Learners who don’t return tablets and textbooks could face criminal charges

Bonile Khanyi

Learners who refuse to return textbooks and tablets that were issued by the Gauteng Education Department may face criminal charges.

Gauteng MEC of Education Panyaza Lesufi issued the warning on Tuesday, during a launch of the Textbooks and Tablet Retrieval Campaign, at Sebothoma Hall in Hammanskraal.

Lesufi said parents need to “play a pivotal role in reminding their children that withholding the department’s learning material is tantamount to theft and they are likely to be prosecuted.”

Last year, the department said 82 000 tablets were issued to Grade 12 pupils as part of the pilot project, but 9 865 were not returned.

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has since been pleading with all learners who were issued with textbooks and tablets by the department, to return them to schools in good condition, saying it will enable other learners to be afforded the same opportunity next year.

Lesufi also pointed out that the purpose of the Textbooks and Tablet Retrieval campaign is to instil discipline and a sense of responsibility amongst learners regarding the adequate management and care of the department’s resources.

“The safe return of study material enables the department to plan on time for 2018 so that when schools reopen for the new academic year,” said Lesufi.

“In addition, this will save taxpayers money, which can be redirected to other educational purposes, such as the implementation of the GDE Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) strategy, rather than procurement.”

In conclusion, Lesufi said it is therefore vital that all textbooks and tablets be returned to schools after this year’s final exams, “as this impacts on the achievement of access to quality education in South Africa as a whole.”

 

This is why CPUT students are protesting

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This is why CPUT students are protesting

Bonile Khanyi

Protesters at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) are calling on the university’s management to lift the suspension of four students.

On Monday, a group of students embarked on a protest demanding that CPUT reinstate students who were suspended in August for allegedly disrupting a council meeting and threatening to burn down buildings at the institution.

Speaking to Inside Education the Chairperson of the EFF student command at CPUT, Songeze Phahlindlela, said the university needs to lift the suspension of four students and allow them to continue with their studies.

“We want the university’s management to lift the suspension of these students because it has been over a month since they’ve been suspended. They can’t submit their assignments or attend classes,” said Phahlindlela.

A student reporter who spoke to Inside Education said the protesters are also demanding that there be no financial exclusion for 2018.

This comes after some students claimed they’ve been getting notifications from the university, saying that they can’t come back next year if they don’t pay this year’s remaining fees.

The university has been dealing with protests for months, after some students embarked on a protest over accommodation, with some students saying that they won’t stop their demonstrations until CPUT management meets them and acknowledges their demands.

Phahlindlela said that they’ve been calling on the university’s Vice Chancellor (VC) to meet with students and listen to their grievances.

“We have been calling on the VC to listen to us, and he’s been refusing to meet us, saying that he’s busy and that he’s got work to do,” said Phahlindlela.

CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley has refuted these claims saying the university has attended countless engagements with student leaders.

“We have been engaging with the student leadership since 2015 when we appointed the Rapid Response Team to help us deal with student’s grievances and we continue to engage with students to find a resolution to the issues they’ve raised,” Kansley said. 

Meanwhile, some students say that they would like to return to class after all academic programmes were suspended on Monday until further notice. Some exams have been disrupted. 

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Kansley said: “after careful consideration of the current situation, management has made a decision to suspend all university activities across all campuses until further notice.”

“This will allow us to continue the consultation process with various stakeholders. The return to work and classes will be communicated to you in due course.”

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