Mohamed Ameen Dabhelia – 2016-08-29

The spate of racism allegations that has been rocking the country since the beginning of the year continues unabated… And, it seems more than 22-years into our democracy; the rainbow nation is coming apart at the seams.

The latest institution to find itself in the midst of allegations of racism, is the prestigious girls school, Pretoria Girls’ High with black students claiming they were the victims of discrimination.

“The problem isn’t black hair, its racist schools” – this was the headline of an article written by Journalist Pontsho Pilane which was published in The Daily Vox in 2014.

In the article, it is quoted: “the continued disregard for black hair in schools is racist. Twenty years after democracy, some schools have become more racially diverse, but the rules have not changed; teachers and schools are not willing to accommodate black people and their hair in its most natural state. That is the real problem”.

This poses the question of where we should draw the line and when is enough, enough?

 Radio Islam spoke to Mishka Wazar who was a student at PGHS for five years between Grade 8 and 12.

Wazar says there were a lot of indirect racism present within the school.

“It was not as overt in terms of administration, teacher – student relationships. We were very young, and many of us were living under the facade of the ‘rainbow nation’, and I don’t think many of us realised that what we were being exposed to was racism, and thinking about this in retrospect has been damaging to our psyche as adolescent girls.”

A student currently enrolled at the Pretoria Girls High School spoke exclusively to Radio Islam on condition of anonymity.

The student says the issue has not only been about black student’s hair, but that racism is experienced on many levels.

“There are a number of racial remarks and comments that are made within our classrooms and assemblies.” She claims that a teacher once referred to her ‘dreadlocks as a birds nest’.

Students have also claimed that a teacher allegedly called students ‘monkeys’ while in class.

The student says that management has been made aware of the incidents, however no action has been taken.

“I believe that everything gets swallowed in our principal’s office”.

The student says the five black teachers at the school are afraid of defending black students as they fear losing their jobs.

Wazar says that things seem to have become more intense since she left the school after matric, but that her case is very different to that of black students at the school.

“Being an Indian girl is very different to the experiences of black girls at the school, the things that I speak about are only the things told to me by my friends, whereas she (the anonymous black student) would have experienced racism a lot more directly.”

She says that there was no actual racism against girls who were Indian, Asian, Coloured or Muslim.

“Most of the racism directed by predominantly white administration was directed towards African girls.”

Radio Islam has contacted the Pretoria Girls High School for comment, but they have declined, stating only that ‘everything at the school is calm and sorted out’.

Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi is currently holding meetings with stakeholders and students at the school.

Twitter: @thedabhelia

(Edited by Hesley Harmse)