ANC, EFF members to appear in court after Hoërskool Overvaal fracas

The eleven people who were arrested during protests outside Hoërskool Overvaal will appear in the Vereeniging magistrate's court on Thursday morning.

The EFF and the ANC on Wednesday staged a joint protest outside the school following a court ruling that the Afrikaans-medium school did not have to admit 55 English-speaking grade eight pupils, despite the Gauteng education department’s instructing it to do so. 

Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said, "The eleven are in custody and will appear in court today [on Thursday]."

Police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse protesters after they refused to vacate the premises.

At least two protesters were injured during the fracas. A man was hit behind the ear while a woman suffered injuries to her right arm and back.

WARNING: Graphic imagery not for sensitive viewers

Earlier police had to separate the protesters and parents who were dropping their children off for the first day of the school year.

The EFF and ANC group blamed Gauteng MEC for education Panyaza Lesufi for the children not being admitted to the school‚ claiming he had “failed” black parents.

“It is not an ANC-led campaign‚ it is not an EFF-led campaign‚ it's a political campaign of an African child. This is a campaign that is fighting racism and apartheid in reverse and they can't use Afrikaans as an excuse to fight racism‚" said an ANC member and resident of Ondervaal who wanted to remain anonymous.

The 55 pupils were given space at Riverside High School‚ just over 15km from Hoërskool Overvaal.

The department said it would appeal the judgment.