Gauteng education department condemns disruptions at Klipspruit West High School

The Gauteng education department has condemned disruptions at Klipspruit West High School after residents hijacked a bus and set it alight during a protest on Thursday.

The residents were protesting against the department of education for its failure to hire a principal at the school‚ where they forcefully removed a black principal.

“The Gauteng Department of Education is deeply concerned and disappointed at the violent protest that flared up this morning at Klipspruit-West‚ despite the plea by MEC Panyaza Lesufi to the community to afford him an opportunity to finalise the appointment of the principal and report on the way forward in due course‚” the department said in a statement.

The department has urged the community to use available structures to raise their concerns and not to resort to any form of disruption at schools. “The department will meet with the Eldos Steering Committee to address any outstanding issues‚ this evening at 18:00.

“In the meantime‚ the Steering Committee undertook to calm the situation down and we can confirm that indeed‚ the situation is calm. We will continue to monitor the situation in the affected areas‚” said the department. Last week Lesufi dissolved Klipspruit West High’s school governing body after parents disrupted learning‚ calling for a black principal to be removed and replaced by a coloured one.