Solidarity wins case on behalf of teacher over false charges of racism

11 July 2022

Solidarity today announced that it has won a case involving false accusations of racism brought against one of its members. This comes after a teacher, Anneke Smit, was falsely accused of racism, suspended and unfairly dismissed in September 2021.

In terms of the ruling, Ms Smit must receive ten months’ damages and she may return to the school in her position as a teacher on 1 August 2022.

Solidarity explained that Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi personally rejected her application to appeal. During the hearing at the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) it was also found that the charges against her, as well as the procedure followed in respect of Ms Smit’s dismissal were unfounded and she should therefore be reinstated in her post.

Anlia Archer, an organiser at Solidarity’s Education Sector further explains, “It is outrageous that a teacher’s life and work were snatched from her simply because of false charges of racism being brought against her.”

Moreover, Archer is of the opinion that there is no place for charges of racism in education every time discipline is involved. In Ms Smit’s case the word “polisiemannetjie” (the Afrikaans diminutive for policeman) was taken as “police monkey” and hence an investigation was instituted against her, resulting in her dismissal.

“Quasi racism cannot be the charge every time someone is unhappy with an interaction that took place in the classroom. In this case, a whole family’s life was disrupted by one false accusation,” Archer contends.

Solidarity denounces in the strongest terms the way in which Ms Smit was dismissed and the ease with which the unfounded allegations were accepted by the authorities at the Gauteng Department of Education.

“That something straightforward, which is happening in classes across the country every day, is wrongfully distorted into an accusation that could ruin someone’s whole life is a sensitive matter. We are venturing on dangerous terrain if we give children the power to end a teacher’s career spanning many years by one false accusation,” Archer concluded.

Issued by Anlia Archer, Organiser: Education Sector, Solidarity, 11 July 2022