Independent report finds misconduct at Pretoria Girls High after racism probe
An independent investigation into allegations of racism at Pretoria High School for Girls has found principal Phillipa Erasmus and her deputy principal guilty of misconduct.
Mthuthuzeli Mdladlamba, director of Mdladlamba Attorneys, confirmed the findings on Monday during the release of the report.
The investigation was commissioned by the Gauteng Department of Education after 12 pupils were accused of sharing racist micro-aggressions in a whites-only WhatsApp group.
While the school cleared the students of wrongdoing during a disciplinary hearing in August, the department continued with its investigation.
The report made damning findings against the school principal and deputy, including their failure to address longstanding complaints and bullying.
Mdladlamba said the principal was not transparent with the students about the manner in which the complaint was handled.
"It is a finding in the report that the allegations of racism were reported to the principal and the deputy in October 2023 by learners 3, 6 and 23.
“The principal mishandled the complaint. She was not transparent with the three learners on how she dealt with their complaints. The learners kept asking about the status of their complaints.
“They were advised by the deputy principal, responsible for discipline, that the investigation was pending.
“It was the same time the bullying of learner 6 by the 12 learners from the WhatsApp group started.
“The learners followed up again on the status of their complaint in term two of 2024, and the response was the same, that the investigation was pending.
“This led to the event of 18 July 2024, where it is said that there was a protest and there was bullying of learners of other races by some black learners in response to their WhatsApp group becoming public.
“The principal failed to comply with her obligations as set out in the policy of standards for principalship. The principal has, therefore, committed misconduct," he said.
He also recommended that various staff members face misconduct charges.
"The principal, the deputy principal, two educators for classroom-related incidents, the estate manager, the HR manager and the acting principal.
"The GDE [Gauteng Education Department] is to consider removing the governing body chairman from the governing body for his allegations of interfering with the legislative powers and functions of the MEC," said Mdladlamba.
In October, the Thabo Mbeki Foundation questioned the handling of the racism storm at school.
Former president Mbeki revealed that he had personally inspected the contents of the WhatsApp conversations and failed to find any evidence of racism.
“We ourselves have also closely studied the comments made by the chat group, independently to determine whether these constituted manifestations of racism and hate speech,” Mbeki said in a letter to Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and MEC of Education Matome Chiloane.
“It seems, for some reason, that the GDE was determined to smear the PHSG with the charge of racism,” he added.
The foundation proposed that the school principal and the deputy principal be allowed to return to work and that the school assembly be addressed to explain the actions and to consider halting the investigation instituted by the department.
“We hold the unequivocal view that the GDE erred in acting against the persons concerned on the basis of the false allegation that the chat group made comments which amounted to racism and hate speech,” Mbeki said in the letter.
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