FF+ lays charge against MEC over creche photograph
“A person of his stature should have known to investigate and not tweet to his followers.”
The Freedom Front Plus has laid charges against Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi over his conduct in a matter of alleged racism at a creche in Centurion last month.
“We have opened the case this morning and we have a case number,” said said Anton Alberts‚ FF Plus leader in Gauteng.
“The charge is threefold. Mr Lesufi’s actions on the matter constitute incitement to cause harm or violence‚ intimidation and assault with word and not physical assault.”
Last month‚ a picture showing what appeared to be a little black girl being kept apart from the rest of the class at Koeitjies En Kalfies pre-school went viral.
It showed her sitting alone at a table while a group of white children appeared to be having fun around a table next to her.
The 19-month-old black child has since been removed from the school.
After visiting the school‚ Lesufi said he was disgusted to find that all teachers at the school were white and that the medium language of instruction was Afrikaans.
Alberts said the problem was not Lesufi intervening, but the way he had handled the matter.
“He basically tweeted his own views. He said he was going there to face-off with racists.
This means he had already decided that the school was wrong without proper investigation.
Then he invited all his 26‚900 Twitter followers to join him and confront the school. He also re-circulated photos of the toddlers‚ which enabled the public to identify them,” said Alberts.
“A person of his stature should have known to investigate and not tweet to his followers.”
The charge was laid at Wierdabrug police station in Centurion.
Police spokesperson Captain Agnes Huma confirmed that a charge had been laid.
“It was referred to Lyttelton police station,” she said.
Gauteng education spokesperson Oupa Bodibe said his department would defend the matter should action be taken against the MEC.
https://twitter.com/EducationGP/status/749987527524773890
“This charges have been based on the deliberate distortion of facts. The photograph was not posted by the MEC, but by parents. The MEC only posted a photo of himself and went there for fact-finding.”
https://twitter.com/EducationGP/status/749987771008290816
Also read:
Centurion creche accused of racism
EFF pickets outside creche accused of racism
Mother of ‘segregated’ child speaks out
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