Cape Town – The ANC’s Promotion for Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to gain access to the Brackenfell High School racism report is at its final stage.
This as the court case against the man accused of firing an alleged airgun during violent confrontations outside the school has been postponed to next month for further investigation.
The ANC’s submission followed the refusal by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to publicly share its report, claiming it contained “confidential or sensitive information” which made such release inappropriate.
Brackenfell High was rocked by violent protests last year, with parents and political parties clashing amid allegations of racism.
However, according to a statement from Education MEC Debbie Schäfer, the WCED’s preliminary report had cleared the school.
It later emerged that the Brackenfell matter was among a number of incidents of alleged racism reported at several schools in the province.
Schäfer compiled a report for the provincial legislature on the incidents, revealing complaints of racism at 13 schools - seven of them against teachers, three against learners and three against parents or SGB members.
Schäfer refused to name the schools, saying this would put them at risk of violent protests.
Political parties have since criticised the department for a lack of transformation and transparency, claiming it did not want people to protest against racism.
ANC provincial spokesperson on education Khalid Sayed said he was not surprised by the “backward stance of the DA political leadership of WCED on the issue of transformation and racism.”
“We are expecting to receive the PAIA report soon. Not naming schools is a move designed to cover up and protect racist schools and educators in the province.
’’Many calls by the ANC, its alliance partners, the parents and learners for transformation in schools have been openly criticised and rejected by the MEC and the DA administration.”
Sayed said the numbers reported by Schäfer were low as many incidents went unreported.
“Perhaps parents and learners have lost all hope, as in the past many reported cases were not adequately investigated and addressed.
“Active steps were taken to protect the alleged racists while complainants were victimised,” he said.
He said all these calls were ignored as the MEC seemed unconcerned.
EFF Western Cape chairperson Melikhaya Xego said: “The MEC has made it clear now that she is not going to release the full report of the Brackenfell racist incident.
“We are convinced that there is much more behind this extremely watered-down response.
“The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is busy with their own investigation and we will wait for the release of its report.”
The SAHRC's Chris Nissen said they were expecting to have a preliminary report about Brackenfell High from their provincial office this week.
Schäfer's spokesperson, Kerry Mauchline, acknowledged that various schools still needed to redouble their efforts in addressing inequalities and prejudices that still existed.
“When learners or staff report allegations of racism to us, we investigate these complaints and take action to address the situation.
“Advertising the names of those schools puts both the learners and staff who came to us with allegations, as well as other learners or staff at the school, at risk of the kind of violent protest we saw last year.
“The WCED condemns any form of prejudice,” said Mauchline.
She said the department was working hard to instil the embracing of diversity across the province, and would continue to do so.
“Learners and educators are encouraged to report racism or discrimination, of any form, to the department if not being addressed appropriately by the school management.”
Cape Times