Cosas calls for the rejection of school closures
The Congress of South African Students is dissatisfied with the arbitrary closure by the Western Cape provincial government of 27 schools, targeting black (including coloured) learners specifically.
The reasons cited for this racist initiative ranges from the so-called decline in the pass rate or enrolment figures, as well as many other unreasonable issues that are merely used to shut down the future of black (including coloured) children in the province.
This stupid move can only be interpreted as a way which the DA government is attempting to close and marginalise our societies at large from growing and building a brighter existence for themselves.
A visible indication of this being informed by nothing else but racism is the closure of the historic Zonnenbloem Nest Secondary School which has a constant pass rate of over 70% every year without fail.
The fundamental mistake of this school is the fact that it was the first school to educate black children in Cape Town when it was a sin for a black child to be educated and this institution is continuing to provide quality education and a variety of comprehensive extramural activities and facilities.
Over and above the racist government of the Western Cape proceeds to openly refuse to be considerate of the views of the learners in the process of the most stifled so-called public participation, which it claims to have embarked on.
The students in all the affected high schools are united and not apologetic in the rejection of such a regressive initiative.
The closure of schools in our view remains a clear example of a government that is not prepared to give sustainable solutions to the education challenges that are as a result of the unfortunate history that was in fact perpetuated by them in various forms such as the National Party, NNP and many other oppressive formations which collectively gave birth to the so-called Democratic Alliance.
We remain opposed to their strategy of the reinstatement of such an oppressive system that disregards our rights and which undermines the necessity of nation building in the context of non-racialism and prosperity.
We therefore call upon our parents to reject this nonsense until the Western Cape government is forced to erase the stupid and unprocessed idea of closing our schools without due prior consultation with the affected parties, including parents and learners.
Should such an offensive act to disrupt our schools proceed, that political brute of an education MEC must know that we are more than ready to also mobilise the same learners to peaceful protests or acts of civil disobedience at schools to which anybody associated with him goes.
We remain fearless. We are ready to fight until this merciless puppet of the DA has come to proper senses.
Statement issued by Cosas Secretary General Tshamo Tsotetsi and Western Cape Secretary General Samkelo Mqomboti, August 10 2012
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
