Lesufi said that in his fight against racism at schools across the province, those unhappy with his decisions have targeted his family. He made the disturbing revelations after questions by Dan Roodt from the Pro-Afrikaans Action Group who riled him up when he claimed the department was anti-Afrikaner schools.
Roodt’s colleague also asked Lesufi why the department was ignoring research that indicated there was a correlation between race and IQ.
To this, Lesufi said: “The people who are in this room today, I was given information they will be here. These are the acts they are doing everywhere. Yes, my life is at risk but I am not scared. I don’t need any protection. I joined this Struggle knowing that it is about life or death. I am not scared of racism.” He claimed he was being followed and his car has been scratched and tyres slashed.
Instead of being scared, Lesufi vowed schools across the province would be integrated. He said the recent Hoërskool Overvaal court victory would be short-lived. Earlier this week, the Pretoria High Court ruled Hoërskool Overvaal doesn’t have the capacity to accommodate 55 English-speaking pupils. The court suggested the pupils be admitted at neighbouring schools.
“There is no single language that is under threat. All languages are equal and whoever says that is unlawful will have to say why,” Lesufi said.
Lesufi said the department would appeal against the judgment. “We feel there was a level of bias from the judge. We are briefing our legal counsel to file papers. I am not challenging the rule of law. I really believe a different court will come to a different conclusion.”
He said the court judgment “perpetuates segregation on the basis of language and flies in the face of recent judgment regarding the use of language in education.”
In the meantime, Lesufi yesterday met the parents of the 55 pupils to come up with alternate schools ahead of the beginning of the 2018 academic year today.
“We heard that there are people who want to go to the school and shut down the school so we are trying to stop that. That is why I am meeting with the parents,” Lesufi said.