Lesufi calls for calm

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has called for calm after angry parents threatened to burn down the Hoërskool Overvaal in Vereeniging following a court ruling that it did not have to admit 55 English learners.

Some Afrikaans parents applauded, but parents who demand that their children must be taught in English at the school angrily waved their fists and shouted that they would make sure that the “racist” school did not open on Wednesday and would burn it down.

Lesufi tried to calm down the parents and pleaded with them not to take the law into their own hands, take revenge or “feel wicked”.

“We will not allow them to deprive our children of access to education. They must know that their celebration is short lived. They must know that this country belongs to all of us.

“Regardless of the pain that we’ve gone through, regardless of our willingness to even forgive them for the wrong things they have done to us, ours is for equality, it’s not for revenge.

“Non-racialism has never been an easy road. We have to pay the heavy price that people like Solomon Mahlangu, Harry Gwala and Chris Hani and many people have paid.

“…They might have their day today to think our children are not worth quality education, but one day all of our children will get quality education. That’s the struggle we must fight for. That’s the struggle we must wait for. We might be down today but we’re definitely not out.

“Our heart might be sore, we might be in pain, we might not agree, but one thing is for sure – there’s no racist that can hide behind a broomstick. There’s no racist that will use language to deny our children getting access to education.

“We on behalf of the department are definitely, without any shadow of hesitation, going to appeal this judgment. This is not the way we want to resolve problems.

“…In reality this matter didn’t start the way the judge said in December last year. This has been coming a long, long time, so we will attend to those issues,” he said.

Lesufi said he had given instructions to his officials to get the paperwork for an appeal together and wanted the matter to go to the Constitutional Court.

“Let the constitutional court legalize racism. Let the constitutional court say we’re wrong in requesting our children just to study, sing and dance together…  If that is unlawful, let someone come and tell us why we’re wrong.

“I’m pleading with you. I know all of us are emotional. I know it’s a major setback for our transformation agenda (and) our struggle for a non-racial society, but ours is not for revenge. Ours is for equality.

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has called for calm after angry parents threatened to burn down the Hoërskool Overvaal in Vereeniging following a court ruling that it did not have to admit 55 English learners.

Some Afrikaans parents applauded, but parents who demand that their children must be taught in English at the school angrily waved their fists and shouted that they would make sure that the “racist” school did not open on Wednesday and would burn it down.

Lesufi tried to calm down the parents and pleaded with them not to take the law into their own hands, take revenge or “feel wicked”.

“We will not allow them to deprive our children of access to education. They must know that their celebration is short lived. They must know that this country belongs to all of us.

“Regardless of the pain that we’ve gone through, regardless of our willingness to even forgive them for the wrong things they have done to us, ours is for equality, it’s not for revenge.

“Non-racialism has never been an easy road. We have to pay the heavy price that people like Solomon Mahlangu, Harry Gwala and Chris Hani and many people have paid.

“…They might have their day today to think our children are not worth quality education, but one day all of our children will get quality education. That’s the struggle we must fight for. That’s the struggle we must wait for. We might be down today but we’re definitely not out.

“Our heart might be sore, we might be in pain, we might not agree, but one thing is for sure – there’s no racist that can hide behind a broomstick. There’s no racist that will use language to deny our children getting access to education.

“We on behalf of the department are definitely, without any shadow of hesitation, going to appeal this judgment. This is not the way we want to resolve problems.

“…In reality this matter didn’t start the way the judge said in December last year. This has been coming a long, long time, so we will attend to those issues,” he said.

Lesufi said he had given instructions to his officials to get the paperwork for an appeal together and wanted the matter to go to the Constitutional Court.

“Let the constitutional court legalize racism. Let the constitutional court say we’re wrong in requesting our children just to study, sing and dance together…  If that is unlawful, let someone come and tell us why we’re wrong.

“I’m pleading with you. I know all of us are emotional. I know it’s a major setback for our transformation agenda (and) our struggle for a non-racial society, but ours is not for revenge. Ours is for equality.

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