The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has appealed for calm during Friday’s planned protest by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) outside Brackenfell High School in Cape Town.
The Commission will also be monitoring events.
The SAHRC says the right to protest cannot be exercised in a manner that infringes on other human rights in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights.
The City of Cape Town has granted the party a permit, allowing 100 members to join the demonstration.
We will defend our land with our blood.
This, our land we will defend with our bodies.
We are always prepared to die for South Africa.
Today uPhephela will descend on Brackenfell to protest against perverted racism of the school, teachers and parents #EFFInBrackenfell pic.twitter.com/rU4GvL6sNo
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) November 20, 2020
Two weeks ago, chaos erupted between members of the EFF and parents outside the school.
This came after a private celebration was held for matric learners and claims made that only white learners were invited.
This morning, roads leading to the school are cordoned off with police and law enforcement patrolling the area.
A flatbed truck with speakers has been set up outside the entrance to the school.
Community members and private security officials have gathered on an open field near the school.
“We will not disrupt schooling”
Matric learners are writing their Physical Science Paper 1 examination today.
The Western Cape Education Department says all grade 8 to 11 exams have been rescheduled.
EFF Western Cape Provincial Deputy Chair Nosipho Makamba-Botya says theirs will be a peaceful march to the school where they will then hand over a memorandum to school management. She adds that they do not intend to disrupt schooling or matric exams.
“Today we are going there in full force. Our commander in chief will be leading that march, a peaceful protest. We are going to hand out a memorandum of demands stating that we want to correct what happened in that school. We hope that the South African police will take the lead and make sure we do our march peacefully without any interruptions or any confrontations from other parties. Matric students will write their exams from 9:00 to 12:00 so we will be very far from the school in that period, and then we will start marching towards the school once the exams are done so there won’t be any interruptions,” says Makamba-Botya.
Racism has no place in South Africa. This is the land of our fore-bearers. We will occupy every space we want to occupy.
No one will stop us #EFFInBrackenfell pic.twitter.com/C66b7HbPsC
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) November 20, 2020
UCT rallies behind march
The Student Representative Council (SRC) at the University of Cape Town has called on all students to join the march against reports of racism at the school.
Various other organisations are also expected to join today’s protest.
Ukhanyo Mdakane, a representative of the SRC at the university, says racism cannot be tolerated.
“There is racism that is happening at Brackenfell. There have been accounts of racism at Brackenfell. Hopefully, we will come out in our numbers later on today. I don’t think there is a black person in this country that has gone to a school whether it be public or private that cannot relate to that sort of racial oppression and exclusion in these spaces.”
