The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is expected to meet with management of Cornwall Hill College in Irene, Pretoria on Thursday, after this week’s protests against racism at the school.
College management has apologised for taking too long to attend to the racism allegations at the school. Parents and learners took part in the demonstrations and a memorandum of demands for faster transformation at the college was handed over.
Reserve Bank Governor, Lesetja Kganyago, was among the protesting parents.
Video: South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago explains why he is part of the protesting parents at the school
MEC meets with Cornwall Hill College management
Gauteng Education MEC, Panayza Lesufi ,met the school’s leadership on Monday and promised racism would no longer happen under his watch.
Two matriculants say they hope things will change.
“These experiences and the things we are saying … they stem from places where when you always have to come to school, [you have] to mentally prepare yourself for the things you have to endure as a black child. There have been people that have been called the K-word.”
“It once occurred to a girl [fellow pupil] who was walking down from practice and a white parent said to her: ‘you are quite a rude Kword’. They [school] said that no dreads were allowed at the school and I’ve had dreads since 2008. I’ve had to live with that rule [that] brought across an identity crisis for myself.”
The school is also accused of ignoring complaints that parents and learners had submitted in a memorandum early in 2020.
In the video below, Cornwall Hill College protest against racism:
