Cape Town high school distances itself from racist TikTok account

Western Cape education officials say a racist TikTok account in the name of a Cape Town high school has nothing to do with the institution.

Education department communication director Bronagh Hammond also said a social media account of a 15-year-old pupil at Table View High School that contains racist commentary had been created by an impersonator.

“The department has engaged with the school and has confirmed that the learner’s account has allegedly been impersonated,” Hammond said on Wednesday, explaining that information about the racist account and the impersonation was being released “to enable accurate reporting on the matter”.

“The parents have submitted the learner’s phone to the police and have opened a case of defamation of character. Arrangements are being made with a digital forensics company to get the content removed,” she added.

Hammond said the Table View High governing body was in touch with TikTok to have the fake account removed.

If this failed, it would consider submitting a legal letter, as well as an affidavit from the school confirming that the account was unlawfully registered in the name of the school.

“The content is extremely offensive and unacceptable," said Hammond.

"It is concerning that someone has purposefully impersonated an account of a child, and impersonated an account of the school which never existed, with the intention to maliciously sow seeds of division, hatred and racism, and cause harm to a minor and the integrity of this school.

“It is unacceptable that people are intentionally and maliciously wanting to stir unrest and racial tension.”

The Western Cape education department is still dealing with the fallout from an unofficial matric party attended only by white pupils at Brackenfell High School.

The EFF has been given permission to stage a protest at the school in the northern suburbs of Cape Town on Friday, where a major security operation has been planned in an attempt to prevent clashes similar to those outside the school during an EFF protest last week.

Editor's note: This article has been amended after the Western Cape education department said its original statement incorrectly used the word “hacked”  in relation to the pupil's TikTok account instead of “impersonated”.

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