The principal at Pretoria High School for Girls, Phillipa Erasmus, has been suspended for three months following allegations of racism which also saw 12 white learners suspended.
Chiloane said Erasmus has been barred from communicating with learners, parents and educators.
“We have appointed the deputy principal to come and act in the interim,” he said.
Regarding the 12 learners who were suspended, Chiloane said eight of the teens were prefects and have since been stripped of the titles, reports IOL.
Moreover, he said there was new evidence regarding complaints of racism raised in 2023 by some of the learners.
“One of the whistle blowers came forward and what makes me sad is that she was victimised. We were able to get her evidence,” he said.
Black learners had complained that the white girls who have been suspended had set up a WhatsApp group chat to discuss them.
They said despite their complaints, the principal and school's management team failed to take action, and that white learners received preferential treatment from teachers.
Spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), Steve Mabona said: "According to information at our disposal, the school alerted the Tshwane South District about a planned protest by a group of learners triggered by alleged racial connotations, micro-aggressions and complaints about black learners which were ventilated through a WhatsApp Group comprised of white learners.”
Among others, the white girls discussed and downplayed a black hair protest by learners that reportedly took place at the school in 2016.