Gauteng MEC for education Panyaza Lesufi visited Hoërskool Jan Viljoen on Sunday afternoon during a meeting in which parents of the school got the chance to utter their grievances.

The meeting comes after violent clashes that occurred at the school last week following an incident between learners which was allegedly racially loaded. This lead to allegations of racism and sexual harassment being exposed at the school.

Having sat down with the school’s management, Lesufi said they’ve indicated that indeed ‘there are challenges of racism at the school’ and that the school confessed it was difficult leading the school through a transition.

He added, “However, they’ve taken a stand to reject any form of racism within the school premises”.

“To build a truly non-racial South Africa starts in the classroom. If it can’t start there, we will never get there.”

Lesufi said the school is already making inroads to embracing unity and diversity with a RCL camp which was held involving the first-ever non-racial Grade 12 group. The school is also introducing other sport codes which includes soccer. Before he gave parents the opportunity to speak, Lesufi said:

“You (the parents) are the last part. We will consolidate all the views into a document that we will hand over to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to handle and deal with the matters raised.

Don’t point fingers to each other but rather in a direction we want to go to build a truly non-racial South Africa. We will not allow anyone to sow division,” he said.