Pupils at Good Hope Seminary School held a protest on Tuesday after the black head girl was allegedly called a “n!gger” by a fellow pupil.
According to the about 30 black matric pupils, the head girl was threatened that she would be stripped of her title if she spoke out about the matter, and was instead made to apologise to the perpetrator for outing her on social media.
Learner Representative Council member Zethu Hlabeni said this was just the tip of a huge racist iceberg at the school.
“The demonstration was influenced by how the teachers handled this issue, and also by other racism incidents which have been happening at the school since we started attending a few years ago,” Zethu says.
According to Zethu, last Thursday, 12 May, a coloured girl repeatedly called the head girl a n!gger, despite requests for her to stop.
“The victim was outside the class listening to music and there was an altercation and the black girl was called a n!gger by a coloured girl, so she wrote on social media that she is hurt that she had been called a n!gger and stated that she had told the other not to use it and she continued to use it.
“Some of the learners saw the status and they investigated and found out who she was and then the coloured girl said she felt threatened and she told her mom that she is being intimidated and she didn’t feel safe.”
Zethu says the coloured girl’s mom came to the school to confront the black girl and then both pupils went to the principal’s office.
“She was told not to say anything, or she would not be the head girl anymore.
“Instead, she was asked to apologise to the coloured girl for the post she sent on social media.”
She says the latest incident is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“It’s a build-up from other incidents. A teacher once told black learners not to wear headbands because they look like domestic workers.
“And the principal has been calling black learners ‘darkies’.”
The pupils demonstrated outside with placards, discouraging discrimination against black students and chanting in IsiXhosa: “Racism towards black learners at this school must end.”
Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the complaints are being investigated.
“The WCED has visited the school to engage with the principal and the learners.
“The principal has already met with the learner representatives to discuss their concerns.
“The WCED has not received any complaints recently regarding the school.”