Millions on race but none for the poor

Tender-loving Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi’s government is hobbling social services while spending millions on diversity training by people who exploit allegations of racism.

These exploiters are not happy that the 12 white pupils at Pretoria High School for Girls (PHSG), who were accused of racism, have been cleared in an inquiry by the school governing body.

The finding threatens their income. As the DA’s Helen Zille said in an unrelated Sunday Times interview: “There’s a huge industry out there that needs racism to exist and when it doesn’t exist, needs to invent it.”

Lawyer and anti-woke activist Richard Wilkinson, who has for years been documenting school capture, identified numerous consultants who offer to help “transform” schools.

Wilkinson notes the diversity programme announced for PHSG will be implemented by the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership.

ALSO READ: Fresh probe launched into ‘racism’ at Pretoria school

So, before any finding was made against the accused girls, Gauteng MEC for education Matome Chiloane had already committed public money to the issue.

Diversity trainers don’t come cheap. One workshop costs about R70 000.

According to its 2020 annual report, the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership is “an agency of the GDE (Gauteng education department) established to research, develop and deliver cutting-edge capacity-building programmes in the areas of school management and leadership, school governance and teacher development.”

With an annual budget of R277 million, mostly from Gauteng provincial government grants, it employs 186 people.

Reports on its tax woes suggest the organisation has received provincial government grants of at least R1 billion.

ALSO READ: 12 Pretoria High School for Girls pupils found not guilty of racism

Significantly, Wilkinson says the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership board of directors reads like a who’s who of the Gauteng ANC and its allies. He provides a list.

There appear to be conflicts of interest: political connections between people who make a living from diversity training and those who allocate taxpayers’ money for this purpose.

In these circumstances, how can the Gauteng education department announce an “independent” investigation to determine whether a culture of racism exists at the school? Independent? When allegations of racism mean profits for political connections?

Given the vested interests, the outcome is a foregone conclusion, especially when racism is deemed to include “micro-aggressions”.

It is unclear how this process will deal with a viral video in which a now-suspended black PHSG girl says white girls “will feel the wrath”. That ain’t micro. That’s a threat.

ALSO READ: Dept of justice blasts recent alleged racism cases in SA schools

While the ANC provincial government spends a fortune witch-hunting for racism, it is short-changing social services.

The pain of the funding cuts and inept management which led to the deaths of 144 people in the Esidimeni tragedy lingers in other forms.

For example, the Gauteng department of social development is still fumbling with overdue payments to non-profit organisations.

The Gauteng department of health has cut the budget for goods and services by R780 million. And poor Gauteng pupils go hungry amid wrangling over a R1 billion school feeding scheme tender.

Despite all this, Lesufi and company are happy to use taxpayer’s money on “diversification or social cohesion programmes”, which enrich connections.

ALSO READ: Another Pretoria Girls High pupil suspended after video with ‘racial undertones’

No wonder he doesn’t want a unity government such as that at national level.

This abuse of our money would be stopped by you know who.