Locals, foreigners face off at Addington Primary School
Protests intensify outside Addington Primary School as parents demand placement for local learners amid ongoing admission disputes.
FOLLOWING Wedesday’s protest by the March-And-March members and local parents, today (January 16) a bulkier crowd chanted outside the Addington Primary School gates.
On the side of the road foreign nationals stood and threw insults.
A total of 66 local children are still not accepted at the school despite applying for admission as early as April 2025.
The angry crowd is frustrated that foreign learners are accommodated at the expense of local children.
A lengthy meeting was held involving March And March leadership, the school management, Ward 26 committee and District (KZN Department of Education) representatives. It was resolved that most of the 66 local children who are not placed will be enrolled before the end of next week. The remainder would be accommodated in a neighbouring school. An option of bringing in containers as classrooms was also explored.
One Congolese parent lamented, “Where must we go. Our country is plagued with civil wars. We needed a peaceful place hence we came to South Africa to get a better future for our children.”
March-And-March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma said one mistake South Africans did was to show humanity to foreigners, who in turn abused it, by taking over every space. She assured the local parents that next week they would be back at the school if no progress was made as promised.
This was echoed by the Ward councillor Sibusiso Lushaba.
“All the children will be placed by the end of next week. We had already started sending SMSs to parents to come to the school next week. The school may not accommodate all of them but we will try other means,” he said.
The principal of the school could not comment.
@caxtonlocalmedia For the second time this week, tensions erupted outside Addington Primary School as parents and protesters clashed over learner enrolment. The latest confrontation unfolded Friday at the school gates, echoing scenes from Wednesday’s chaotic stand-off on the first day of the academic year. On both occasions, parents of foreign learners, South Beach residents, and members of the March-And-March protest group were involved in heated exchanges that disrupted the start of classes. #bereamail #marchinmarch #durbannews ♬ original sound – caxtonlocalmedia
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