The Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Honourable Obed Bapela expressed concern about the acts of intolerance which borders on the suppression of the identity and eroding the dignity of learners at Pretoria Girls’ high school.
Our Constitution lays the foundation for an open society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights and is hailed worldwide as very progressive. This means that as the supreme law in our country, then everyone’s actions should always be consistent to its provisions and principles. As a country and people within the constitutional state, all laws, policies or codes of conduct must pass the test of constitutionality by keeping with the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
Therefore the school's code of conduct cannot in anyway refuse that the young girls at the school should not in any way see themselves as Africans who are proudly embracing their African identity. As the department that is responsible for Traditional Affairs and that also encourages South Africans to embrace who they are, their cultures and traditions, we believe that such unfortunate incidents take us back.
The Bill of Rights in our constitution, clearly prohibit some of this barbaric acts and humiliation that the learners have thus far being subjected to. Some of the rights enshrined in the Bill of Rights are the right to life, equality, human dignity, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of association, political rights and the right to peaceful assembly and demonstration. These are normal rights that are guaranteed in most democratic countries because they ensure democracy and freedom.
Clearly the dignity of this learners has been disregarded and disrespected by those in the school who are denying them the right to exist as equals with other children in school. With this challenges happening in the school, leaners might not be able to concentrate and preform at their best. In South Africa, where a large part of the struggle for freedom was about improving the lives of people, education is key and the Pretoria Girls High also has an obligation to respect, protect, promote and fulfil these rights. This treatment of children also flies in the face of the rights of the child as guaranteed by the constitution.
“I urge parents to support their children who wish to keep their true African identities and not to be forced to take the cultures and traditions that are foreign to them. There is nothing wrong about being an African proud of your cultures and traditions”, said Deputy Minister Bapela.
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