The Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke’s teacher, Elana Barkhuizen, who was suspended earlier this month amid a storm of racism allegations, will return to teaching from Friday after turning to the court.

Supported by union Solidarity, she approached the Labour Court in Johannesburg in urgent action.

The court found her suspension was unlawful.

According to the court papers, MEC Lehari and the education department had no right to suspend Barkhuizen as she was appointed by the school and its governing body.

North West education spokesperson Freddy Sepeng said earlier last week that the school and its governing body had decided to suspend Barkhuizen, and the MEC supported that.

On January 10, Barkhuizen got a call from the principal “informing me that after consulting with the MEC ‘they’ had decided to suspend me with full benefits with immediate effect… The MEC publicly announced that ‘he’ decided that I am suspended. I was not granted a hearing prior to my suspension.”

Olivier was not suspended.