SGB member assaulted during school protest
Secondary school pupils protest following the retrenchment of a teacher, recently.
Pupils of Chatsworth Secondary School created havoc in a mass protest on Tuesday following the retrenchment of a teacher earlier last week.
Police had to be called in to restore order at the school when the protest turned violent and a female school governing body (SGB) member was assaulted. The school had to be closed early on Tuesday.
The day’s events at the school is alleged to have been incited by ANC councillor, Brandon Pillay. The Rising Sun Community Newspapers is in possession of sworn affidavits from members of the SGB stating that Cllr Pillay had prompted pupils to chant and scream that they want the retrenched teacher to be re-instated.
The teacher had been retrenched because the school is in high debt with the municipality and cannot afford to employ him. The teacher had been teaching matric maths and was not a qualified mathematics teacher which contributed to the reason for him being retrenched. The school is in huge crisis as it has been mismanaged for many years.
Last Wednesday evening, police had to be called in again as a large group of people assembled at the school. After being told that there will be no meeting at the school that evening, the mob proceeded to several SGB members’ homes where they damaged property and assaulted members and their children. The reason they behaved barbarically was to force the SGB members to resign from the board. Kamala Ebrahim, a member of the SGB, is still reeling from the shock.
“My 17-year-old daughter who has cancer and recently underwent an operation, was hit against the gate and her wound had been hurt in the process. My 11-year-old daughter was hit and scratched on her face and my three-year-old baby was in shock and continuously crying as all the noise scared her. My children had panic attacks therefore I had to give them what they wanted to save my family from more harm and injury,” said Ebrahim. The homes of other SGB members were also attacked by the mob and at all incidents Cllr Brandon Pillay was present.
According to Cllr Pillay, he was there to control the situation. Pillay said, “ People cannot use my name nilly willy, I am a public servant. The parents who led the march will even come forward and say they did…and the reason why they did. This is a political and personal attack on me and I refuse to allow people to fabricate lies about me.”
Members of the SGB are now going to seek the help of the Public Protectors’ office. The Acting Principal of Chatsworth Secondary, Mr Mudaly, confirmed that order has been restored and the school is functioning normally.
