AfriForum condemns Gauteng MEC for Education's polarising statements

10 February 2015

AfriForum condemned the past week's statements by the Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, as well as his efforts to establish a commission of inquiry into so-called racism in schools.

According to Alana Bailey, Deputy CEO of AfriForum, the MEC uses generalisations and untested allegations by individuals to drive an own political agenda via the Department.  AfriForum is especially concerned about:

The fact that Lesufi is dragging language into a racial debate and (according to quotes in the media) is objecting to the widespread choice in favour of Afrikaans.  "When schools have a choice and opt for Afrikaans, there is nothing wrong with their choice, unless Lesufi openly acknowledges that the Department is ideologically opposed to Afrikaans. 

Reasons for such a choice, for example the lack of adequately qualified teachers able to teach other languages, should be known to the Department without the need for a commission of inquiry to look into the matter and definitely without dragging language (and specifically Afrikaans) into a debate on racism that has nothing to do with language," Bailey said.

Lesufi's desire to prescribe the racial compilation of school staff.  According to Bailey, rigorous, transparent processes had been followed in the appointment of current staff.  There is also a huge national shortage of properly qualified teachers.  

To prescribe the racial compilation of teachers in a specific school, and to declare that good teachers should not leave townships, indicate a serious lack of understanding of individuals' rights and interference with already regulated processes simply to enforce a racial agenda.  "Under thepressure of such prescriptive measures, more people will leave the education system, whichSouth Africa can ill afford," she warned.

Government's increasing interference in private institutions - with private educational institutions as latest example.  It bodes ill for the future of democracy and private property rights in South Africa.

Bailey expressed the wish that Lesufi would abandon his polarising, racially-driven political agenda in order rather to tackle the burning issue of dysfunctional schools with an equal amount of passion and fervour.

Statement issued by Alana Bailey, Deputy CEO, AfriForum, February 10 2015

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