WATCH: Racial tensions reach boiling point outside high school in Mpumalanga

Witbank Technical High School in Mpumalanga was the scene of violent confrontations and physical fights between parents outside Witbank Technical High School on Monday morning.

This after black parents and some community members protested outside the school’s premises calling for it to be closed due to claims of racism and discrimination.

It is understood that the protest was spiked by a fight last week between a white and black pupil.

While it was unclear what the pupils were fighting about, some pupils said the fight was caused by a white pupil who allegedly used the K-word when referring to a black pupil. The incident was apparently captured on video and shared on various social media platforms.

Black parents are said to be unhappy that the black pupil was suspended for the fight while the white pupil was not. The black pupil was prevented from writing exams while the white pupil was allowed to write.

Parents also claimed this was not the first time the school has been embroiled in allegations of racism.

“What we are fighting about here is the fact that most of the black students at the school have been treated unfairly by the Afrikaans teachers,” one parent told Newzroom Afrika.

A white parent told the news channel the fight was not motivated by racism and claimed the black parents were turning it into a racism issue.

He said they were worried about the safety of their children and had come out to protect the school from being vandalised.

“Our schools at this moment are in a hectic state because this has been turned into a racial story. School kids fight and it was supposed to be sorted out in school,” he said.

Mpumalanga Education MEC Bonakele Majuba condemned the fight between the pupils last week. He was expected to visit the school on Monday.

Last month, Cornwall Hill College (CHC) in Irene, Pretoria publicly apologised to pupils and parents for the delay in transforming the private school.

The school was embroiled in claims of racism after parents and pupils held a peaceful protest calling for an end to racism and unfair treatment of black pupils.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said the school agreed in principle to allow the commission to conduct interviews with pupils, staff, management, the board of directors and a sample of parents.

This is to assist the school to gain clearer insights into the root causes of parents’ and pupils’ concerns.

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