The family of a nine-year-old learner who was denied entry into a Johannesburg private Christian school for wearing isiphandla says they are taking legal action against the school.
The learner’s mother Nelly Sisilana Mthembu says her son will not return to Christian Life Private School.
This after he was barred from entering the school for wearing the bracelet made from animal skin.
She says she met with officials on Monday who indicated that isiphandla clashed with the school’s religious beliefs.
SABC NEWS contacted the school for comment; however it said it would comment after a meeting.
Mthembu says her culture was labelled ‘demonic’.
“I felt like it was such an attack. They invited us to a meeting on Monday. They said they were going to pray to God that his isiphandla falls off sooner so that he can go back to school. It really hurt me, even the harsh statement that was made by the pastor that the whole connection to the ancestors and spirit world is demonic. We have decided now that the whole matter is going to be in our attorney’s hands going forward,” says Mthembu.
The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities has since criticised the school, adding that learners have the right to exercise their cultural beliefs, regardless of the school they attend.
