THERE have been many incidents of Shembe Nazareth Baptist C hurch pupils in KZN being kicked out of school for not cutting their hair.
Recently, it happened again at two schools in Jozini, northern KZN.
So Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, chairwoman of the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, decided to intervene.
On Friday she gave the education department an ultimatum.
They have to amend the rules around the shaving of pupils’ hair at Ezibukweni and Ezinhlabeni high schools in 30 days.
She also instructed the department to discipline teachers accused of fuelling discrimination against Shembe pupils.
Mkhwanazi-Xaluza was speaking at Ghost Mountain Inn at Mkhuze where the church leaders had come to table their detailed complaints to the commission regarding the matter. Her visit came after she was informed, a month ago, that about 40 pupils from the aforementioned schools claimed to have been discriminated by their teachers since March this year. “We also urge the department to provide teachers with copies of the South African Constitution, so they can be better leaders.”
Mkhwanazi-Xaluva continued that if the department fails to rectify the situation in the time given, the commission will be forced to take legal action. Shembe Priest Thulani Mhlongo from Hlanganani said they could not sit back while their children were ill-treated because of their religious beliefs. “If not kicked out our children are called nasty names. The matter has been discussed previously but no permanent solution was found. “All of them do return to school after some time but the discrimination does not stop,” he said. Umkhanyakude Education Distri ct manager Mjosti Motha said he sincerely apologised to the church leaders and parents of the pupils concerned.
“The teachers implicated will be disciplined accordingly.
“The school governing bodies will be instructed to review and amend school rules to avoid problems of this nature in future,” said Motha.
