Lesufi wants to establish racism-police to monitor all schools, teachers and learners

19 June 2020

Today in the Gauteng Legislature, the MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, indicated that he wants to establish a committee that will closely monitor all schools, teachers and learners for any indication of racism.

The announcement was not planned, the MEC nonchalantly mentioned it in the course of a squabble between Lesufi, Adv Anton Alberts (FF Plus chairperson and MPL) and Amanda de Lange (FF Plus MPL and Chief Whip in the Legislature) during the Department of Education's budget vote debate.

The FF Plus is strongly opposed to any such policing body with the objective of spying on schools, teachers and learners. It is reminiscent of the Stasi security service of East Germany and it has no place in a free democracy.

It is, however, characteristic of the ANC's Marxist DNA, which stipulates that all aspects of society must be regulated down to the finest detail and those who do not want to conform must be persecuted and destroyed.

Establishing such a body clearly falls outside of the Department's mandate. If any incidents of racism do occur, the normal protocol is that it must be reported to the Department, the Department will then investigate the matter and take the necessary steps.

There is no justification for creating a policing function with the aim of spying on the school community and catching people out.

Given the ANC and Lesufi's stance on race, such a body will surely be misused to root out any possible cases of white on black racism, while other racist incidents will simply not be given any attention.

This confirms that Lesufi has a personal obsession with race. In addition, he makes no attempt whatsoever to understand white, and particularly multiracial, Afrikaans school communities. The irony of the matter is that such a body, it if were to act fairly and consistently, would not take long to accuse Lesufi himself of being racist given his attitude towards the Afrikaans community.

Lesufi, unfortunately, did not expand on the timeframe and implementation of his plan.

The FF Plus plans to submit very specific written questions about the matter to the Legislature so that Lesufi can respond and explain his rationale. The party will not hesitate to take the steps needed to nip this silly little plan in the bud.

Issued by Anton Alberts, FF Plus national chairperson and MPL: Gauteng, 19 June 2020