The KwaZulu-Natal education department wants a “full-scale investigation” into racism at Maritzburg College, one of the country’s elite public schools, after three uniformed pupils were pictured carrying T-shirts with pro-EFF messaging. 
An advocate was readying  to defend the three boys after a document surfaced showing that the school would discipline them. The advocate fears that the three pupils will not get a fair hearing.
The picture of three pupils, all of whom are believed to be in matric, surfaced on Friday and has since gone viral. 
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen, a Maritzburg College old boy, was among the first people to comment on the picture and said: “WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? Total disrespect for a once GREAT school! Are you joking?!?! [sic].”
The school responded: “We are aware of it and it certainly is not acceptable to us at all.”
The school’s tweet has been deleted. 
 The boys are facing six charges, including a breaching   the South African Schools Act, by engaging in party-political activists during school hours, according to a document circulating online.   
The boys  are also said to have breached the school’s policies. And it has been claimed  the T-shirts “contain speech that is considered to be a threat or act of violence towards learners, educators, members of staff and any other person on school property”. One of the T-shirts had the following words inscribed on it: “EFF our last hope of getting our land back.”
The three are to  face a hearing at 8am next Saturday  October 21, according to the  document being circulated.
 The Maritzburg College governing body, commenting through  lawyer Jaco van der Merwe, confirmed the disciplinary action.
“On the face of it, the picture and the circumstances under which it was taken and published, appear to contravene provisions of the South African Schools Act … certain regulations promulgated in terms thereof and the school’s own code of conduct for learners and [its] social media policy.
“Just because each learner has been issued with a notice to attend a disciplinary hearing, does not mean that any of them have been found guilty,” he said...