Lesufi put the children at alleged racist crèche 'in danger' says FF Plus

04 July 2016 - 16:05 By Penwell Dlamini
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The Freedom Front Plus has opened a case against Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi and demanded that he be fired for the manner in which he handled a matter of alleged racism at Koeitjies En Kalfies pre-school.

This image was put on social media by Kefhiloe Mokoka, the little black girl is her niece.
This image was put on social media by Kefhiloe Mokoka, the little black girl is her niece.

“We have opened the case this morning and we have a case number. The charge is three-fold. Mr Lesufi’s actions on the matter constitute incitement to cause harm or violence‚ intimidation and assault with word and not physical assault‚” said Anton Alberts‚ FF Plus leader in Gauteng.

Last month‚ a picture showing what appeared to be a little black girl being segregated from the rest of the class went viral. It showed her sitting alone at a different table to the white children. The 19-month-old has since been removed from the school.

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After visiting the school‚ Lesufi said he was disgusted to find that all teachers at the school were white and that the medium language of instruction was Afrikaans.

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Alberts said the FF Plus did not have a problem with him intervening at the school but with how he had behaved when he was headed there.

“He basically tweeted his own views. He said he was going there to face-off with racists. This means he had already decided that the school was wrong without proper investigation. Then he invited all his 26‚900 Twitter followers to join him and confront the school. He also re-circulated photos of the toddlers‚ which enabled the public to identify them.

“Within a very highly racially polarised and charged environment he calls people to come with him and face off with a crèche. He put the children at the crèche in danger.” FF Plus said‚ calling Lesufi’s conduct “very irresponsible”.

"We feel that he must be fired from his job because he is not capable of doing his job‚" Alberts added.

The case was open at Wierdabrug police station in Centurion.

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