The current SACS High School SGB was elected to office in March 2018. They have had 2.5 years to develop policies that address the ongoing racism, discrimination and slow progress of transformation at the school. They have failed to discharge their duties in addressing these matters. With the ongoing racism and discrimination by educators and learners that have been brought to light on social media and other channels, they have clearly failed to ensure the well-being and effectiveness of the entire school community. There are no policies in place to address these issues and learners still suffer while the perpetrators of discrimination at the school remain unscathed. It has taken just five old boys to raise this issue in the media for the current SGB to get their house in order and finally make an effort at addressing these issues.

To have minors still experience racism and discrimination at the school is a reflection on the priority this SGB has placed on addressing this matter. It has clearly not been a priority for this SGB who have only recently (in June 2020) responded to public calls, primarily from a select group of old boys, to deal with the matter. These old boys are convinced that had it not been for the global BLM movement rising and public calls for racism, discrimination and transformation to be dealt with at the school, the matter would not have been addressed and racism and discrimination would have continued without consequence for the perpetrators.

The SGB has since established a two-man task team. One man is Mr Mutuma, the chair of the Disciplinary sub-committee of the SGB. The person responsible for and failing to address the conduct of those responsible for racism and discrimination at the school in the 2.5 years he has been in office has been appointed to lead an investigation into this matter. The second man on this two-man committee is Mr Mahlangu. According to his company’s website, he has never done work like this in high schools before. A group of old boys have on two occasions recommended diversity specialists, with experience working in schools, to the SGB. They seemingly ignored these recommendations.

This is not a misdemeanour that can be investigated by two men who then make recommendations. Addressing this matter requires open dialogue where all constituencies of the SACS community can contribute to a structure such as the one proposed by The Collective. SACS High School has to stare at racism and discrimination in the face and have very difficult conversations about what is happening at the school and how to address it. It is by no means a matter that should be dealt with, controlled and managed internally as the SGB is trying to do. There have not been any open discussions since the initial 9 June communication from the school and SGB.

This is more about the SGB’s failure to deal with this matter in the 2.5 years they have been in office than it is about the stories of the victims. Arrogance is the downfall of many leaders, and in this case, it would be fitting to see the SGB Chair and her fellow SGB members follow in the footsteps of their Springfield counterparts and resign or face further calls and actions to be disbanded. They should not be allowed to deal with this matter. A new untainted SGB should be elected to deal with it. The School Management Team ("SMT") are quite capable of managing the daily operations of the school while an SGB is elected.

Should this current SGB be allowed to deal with these issues considering they have failed to do so for the past 2.5 years and that their current efforts are only as a response to what just five old boys raised in the media?

If you do not think they should be allowed to deal with these issues, then sign this petition calling for the current SACS High School SGB to be disbanded. We thank you for your support.

Spectemur Agendo