Our schools should be models for promoting and supporting antiracism. This was the gist of a piece in the Sunday Times penned by Teresa Oakley-Smith, who shared her thoughts on racial conflict boiling over at Hoërskool Jan Viljoen in Randfontein, west of Johannesburg. Unfortunately, upon reading Oakley-Smith’s piece, our tainted history seems to be repeating itself again and again. She writes about a “sickening sense of déjà vu” after being involved in attempts to resolve racial disharmony at Vryburg High School way back in 1996 — and again two years later, when nothing had changed.
I was sad that in the same meeting, parents did exactly what children did. I am urging you as parents to embrace a truly non-racial SA.
— Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi
The unrest at Hoërskool Jan Viljoen was sparked after a fight between white and black children more than a week ago and has clearly brought to the fore historical simmering tensions. The actions of the pupils accused of hurling racial slurs at their fellow pupils are shameful. But perhaps even more concerning was the behaviour of the adults involved in this saga, ranging from both black and white parents to Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi. Instead of the adults pursuing mature ways of resolving the conflict, they have just made matters worse.
On Sunday, Lesufi was scheduled to meet the parents of Hoërskool Jan Viljoen after rescheduling a meeting from Thursday. That meeting disintegrated into chaos when Lesufi did not arrive on time. This made already tense parents even angrier and the situation escalated. A black parent took the microphone to express anger over some parents not being allowed in. White parents streamed onto the field to confront him as others jeered or cheered. It was a disgrace. Parents were screaming at one another, while political organisations such as the extreme right-wing Bittereinders group and the Azanian People’s Organisation joined the fray.
No wonder the children don’t get along. If their parents’ behaviour on Thursday is any indication to go by, there is no leading by example happening here. Lesufi on Sunday said he was saddened after what happened on Thursday between parents. “I was sad that in the same meeting, parents did exactly what children did. I am urging you as parents to embrace a truly nonracial SA.”
Oakley-Smith’s observation that schools are “intimately connected with broader SA society” is on point. If our education authorities, teachers, school principals, parents and politicians cannot find a constructive way to unite Hoërskool Jan Viljoen, we cannot expect our children — our future — to do follow in their footsteps to build a country in which people all races work together instead of against each another.
