‘Brackenfell’ has become 2020’s byword for ‘school racism’.
The events surrounding the awful saga are well-known. What is new is that in early December 2020, the Western Cape Education Department issued a report stating that it could find no evidence of racism at Brackenfell High School in regard to its allegedly racist private matric function.
In a press release, Debbie Schäfer, Minister of Education in the Western Cape government, stated that once the school’s matric dance was cancelled, a parent decided to arrange a private function for her daughter and some of her friends: she wanted to do something special for her following the cancellation of the school’s farewell.
The event was arranged at a private venue (a wine farm) on 17 October 2020. Tickets cost R500 each. Said Schäfer: ‘I have seen the invitation, and there is no reference to the school at all. It specified that it was limited to 100 people, after the venue advised that they could increase the number of attendees from 50 to 100 as a result of the relaxation of Covid regulations.’
The parent asked class representatives to circulate it to their class WhatsApp groups. The invitation was also posted on the parent’s Facebook page, so it was open to people outside Brackenfell High as well. Consequently, 42 learners from Brackenfell, and 30 from other surrounding schools attended.
‘A separate WhatsApp group was started for those who had replied that they wished to attend. This would explain the allegations of some who claim to have been excluded from a WhatsApp group.’
Allegations were also made publicly that the Head Girl did not attend ‘because no learners of colour were attending’. According to the report both the Head Girl and Head Boy (both coloured matriculants) were invited, but did not attend because ‘they had other plans on that day and were organising their own farewell functions’.
The school was aware that the event was happening, but both the school and the organisers regarded it as a private event. It was thus not necessary to seek approval from the principal or the SGB.
‘Supervision at the event was strictly maintained by parents only.’
Furthermore, function was ‘not a “school event”. It was not held on school property, as has been widely reported, despite repeated corrections.’
‘The evidence is thus that invitations were circulated to all matric classes. There is no evidence that people were excluded based on their race.
There are also no grounds to take action against teachers who attended the private event.’
Aggravated
Protests against alleged racism – there were two – by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) led to violence and the destruction of property.
The clashes were between EFF members on the one hand, and parents, community members and the South African Police Services (SAPS) on the other. The situation became particularly aggravated by actions of EFF members who seriously damaged the Brackenfell Post Office, traffic lights, roads and a car dealership. They set a fire engine alight, burned grass and looted a number of local shops.
Ray White, a presenter on Radio 702 interviewed Adv. André Gaum of the SA Human Rights Commission on the WCED’s report. Adv. Gaum said that the SAHRC’s investigation had not yet been completed but that the WCED’s report would be taken into account when preparing its report.
After some discussion, White, in a somewhat exasperated tone, asked Gaum what do we do to prevent this from happening again? How do we prevent this happening again?
The conversation made it clear that he was envisaging another situation where a school was faced with an allegation of racism. White’s question is, what will happen when a school is either found guilty of or is accused of racism? Gaum talked about ‘diversity’ training and other forms of building tolerance between the races.
I do wonder however whether painstakingly earnest ‘interventions’ aren’t best achieved by encouraging mixing in extramural activities. Mixing can’t be forced on people.
There are two aspects to this political correctness: first, despite what the Twitterati say, racism cannot be ‘eliminated’. Like gender-based violence, high traffic death tolls and all other manner of social ills, we can work to minimise them but not eliminate them. Acts of alleged racism will occur again. But the blinding light of publicity and accusations before ascertaining all the facts can’t do much assist a school to resolve the problem.
Although it should always be up to the school community and the authorities to resolve an allegation of racism, efforts by the EFF to milk it no matter what, should be condemned in the strongest terms.
Second, and more importantly, White’s question shouldn’t have been about the alleged but unproven racism; it should be about the nasty, violent activity that the EFF indulges in every time there is an allegation of racism, whether it be about advertising or a matric dance. The EFF is emboldened on each occasion to take to the streets like the political thugs that they are, with threat and menace.
Due process
That’s the conversation that should be had. It also applies to the racist responses to the successful appeal of the Coligny case. It is the duty of political parties and experts to make clear that the rule of law is not suspended because the EFF or MEC for Education in Gauteng Panyaza Lesufi believe that white men should be convicted for a ‘racist’ murder without the due process of the law. They must be shamed every time they allege racism by whites without bothering with the evidence and the miscarriages of justice that seem increasingly to result.
This uninformed approach by the EFF is standard – it creates the heat but diminishes the light. Tactically the EFF allows its leadership to rile up its supporters against the ‘enemy’ and then relies on well-trained marshals to prevent any serious injury or worse occurring. This was evident at Senekal and Brackenfell.
The EFF thereby ensures that it gets the lion’s share of the publicity, on television in particular, which is so effective. In the case of Senekal, Malema’s near hour-long speech to his supporters was featured on three major television news programmes on the same night.
Parties with policies that actually hope to benefit the country could only wish for that sort of airtime. If it bleeds it leads, but one day the EFF marshals may not be able to maintain control over a crowd baying for blood.
That’s the conversation the media should be having and worry less about the alleged racism of school children. There are concerned adults who will deal with that.
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