THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (KZNDOE) has instructed the principal of Umgababa’s Esizibeni Sivananda Vaswani Comprehensive High School to allow learners back in their classrooms after some were suspended for having long hair.

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The school’s principal, Sipho Gumbi, wrote letters to parents, dated February 3, telling them that all learners need to have their hair cut very short by February 6 or they will not be allowed to enter the school. The SUN has seen the letter which bears the school’s stamp and Gumbi’s signature.

The letter further states that learners who are members of the Nazareth Baptist Church must also cut their hair short. The Nazareth Baptist Church, otherwise known as the Shembe Church, forbids its members from cutting their hair. No reason was given why the children needed to cut their hair.

On Monday, February 6, learners could be seen standing outside the gate after the morning bell had rung as they had been locked out for having hair of an undesired length. On the same day, the church’s headquarters in Durban sent a letter to the principal, addressing what it called the violation of the learners’ constitutional rights to education and freedom of religion.

“The learners are protected by the provisions of Section 12(2)(b) of Act 108 of 1996, in that they have the right to bodily and psychological integrity, which includes the right to security in and control over their body. Henceforth, no one without lawful justification can interfere with their right,” said the letter.

The church has asked the school to produce legitimate reasons for its directive within 24 hours and return the learners to class, pending the escalation of the matter to the Department of Education.
KZNDOE spokesperson Sihle Mlotshwa said all children have a right to education no matter the length of their hair.

“There is a circular we released in 2016 that addresses this issue. In it, we said the learners’ religion and culture should be respected and should not be used against them,” said Mlotshwa.
He said the department had asked the principal to retract the letter and allow all learners to go to their respective classes.

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