Equal Education in peace talks with Western Cape school bosses

Peace has broken out between Equal Education and the Western Cape schools minister.

Three days after MEC Debbie Schäfer told the NGO to stay away from schools amid a sexual harassment furore‚ at a meeting on Thursday “it was agreed that there should at this stage be no obstacle to Equal Education members continuing to organise in the Western Cape”‚ a statement from the NGO said on Saturday.

In response to revelations that three senior managers at Equal Education had resigned‚ Schäfer said on Monday that while allegations of sexual harassment had been made against managers‚ it was not clear if children were involved.

“I have therefore written to Equal Education requesting that they furnish me with the details regarding every interview or engagement conducted by [the men] so far this year with any female learner in the Western Cape‚” she said.

“I have requested the names of learners‚ the school that these learners attend‚ the date of the interviews and who was present during the interviews. I require this information by this Friday.

“I have also demanded an undertaking ... that they will cease operations in Western Cape schools until such time as we have had an opportunity to meet with them and discuss the way forward. Should we not receive such undertaking‚ we shall instruct our schools not to allow anybody from Equal Education‚ and who is not a learner at the school‚ onto school premises.”

Noncedo Madubedube‚ the head of Equal Education in the Western Cape‚ led a delegation that met Schäfer and education department head Brian Schreuder on Thursday.

“We assured [them] that EE has strict sexual harassment policies in place and that EE has acted swiftly to address every sexual harassment allegation that has been put before it‚” the NGO said on Saturday‚ adding that it had launched three separate inquiries:

- One independent panel to look into allegations against former general secretary Tshepo Motshepe;

- Another to investigate sexual harassment claims against former treasurer Doron Isaacs; and

- The organisation’s national council will examine its record of dealing with mistreatment in the workplace‚ as well as policies‚ procedures and organisational culture on harassment‚ and power dynamics.

“We explained to the [education department] officials that the three men who have been accused of sexual harassment played roles in EE in which they had no regular direct interaction with Western Cape learners and‚ as soon as allegations emerged‚ EE’s current leadership ensured that they were prevented from any possible engagement‚” the statement said.

It added that Schäfer had clarified “her initial very broad request” to mean that Equal Education should not engage with pupils on school premises during school hours.

“It was agreed that there should at this stage be no obstacle to Equal Education members continuing to organise in the Western Cape.”