sahrc thumb medium90 90SowetanLive writes that according to the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), the heated exchange between a black teacher and a coloured parent at a school in Ennerdale, south of Johannesburg, is a symbol of rising tensions in the community that the government failed to address three years ago.

The SAHRC has accused the Gauteng government of neglecting to implement its social cohesion recommendations made in 2019 to quell racial tensions in largely coloured communities. In the latest incident, a video showing a black teacher making racist comments to a coloured parent inside the classroom at Fred Norman Secondary School in Ennerdale circulated on social media this week. In the clip, the teacher can be heard saying: “I don’t like coloureds. I will never wake up liking coloureds like you. You guys are rude. You guys don’t have manners. As a woman, you come and scream at me here.” The teacher’s remarks have angered many coloured people in Ennerdale and neighbouring areas who are calling for the permanent removal of the educator. Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi visited the school and announced that the teacher had been put under suspension. SAHRC spokesperson Buang Jones said he was not surprised by the outrage caused by the Ennerdale incident. He said they had noted a worrying trend of racism in Region G, which includes Eldorado Park, Klipspruit, Lawley and Lenasia and which is dominated by coloured populations. “Region G is sitting on a ticking time bomb. The coloured people in Region G feel isolated. They are of the opinion that their areas are not provided with sufficient government services as compared to other areas. This view is fuelled by lack of social cohesion programmes in Region G. Government officials are also not visible enough in these areas,” said Jones.


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