North West education MEC apologises to teacher embroiled in race storm

North West basic education MEC Ntsetsao Motsumi has apologised to a former teacher at Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke, Elana Barkhuizen, for accusing her of racism and for violating her rights to privacy. 

Motsumi also apologised, on behalf of her department and former MEC Sello Lehlari, for their part in  placing Barkhuizen’s life and that of her family at risk by identifying her.

Barkhuizen found herself in the spotlight over a picture she took showing black grade R pupils in a class seemingly seated separately from their white classmates on their first day of school on January 9 2019.

The picture sparked public outrage and groups gathered near the school to protest against what some perceived to be segregation. Some parents kept their children away for days while protests continued.

Barkhuizen was suspended on January 10 2019, but trade union Solidarity approached the labour court on her behalf and the court ruled that her suspension was illegal. 

It later emerged that whereas Barkhuizen had taken the picture, the classroom was not hers but a colleague’s.