KZN DoE clears teachers of religious intolerance allegations

IOL News

24-04-2025

The parents are disappointed over the findings, questioning the integrity of the investigation.
THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (KZN DoE) has concluded its investigation into allegations of religious intolerance at Drakensberg Secondary School, exonerating both the principal and a teacher.
However, the parents are disappointed over the findings, questioning the integrity of the investigation.
In January, allegations surfaced of a Muslim teacher forcing Hindu pupils to remove their red Lakshmi prayer strings at the school.
On February 3, the DoE visited the school and launched an investigation into the allegations of racial intolerance. According to the DoE's report into the allegations, which was leaked to the POST, the investigation was finalised on February 24. But to date the parents of the affected pupils have not had sight of it.
According to the report, the investigation was prompted following reports in the media about the allegations of religious intolerance at the Estcourt school.
'Upon receiving a complaint regarding the cutting/removal of a red string, the principal immediately launched an investigation and all complaining parties, witnesses and alleged offenders were interviewed,' read the report.
The DoE had received four complaints.
'This initial investigation also included a representative from the teacher union of the affected employee, as well as the parents of the pupils and the chairperson of the school governing body (SGB). At this meeting, only two parents attended and the other two had withdrawn their complaints,' the report stated.
It also stated when further allegations arose against the principal, the DoE conducted a preliminary investigation. For the investigation, five pupils – randomly chosen from the 1 100 pupil population – and six teachers were interviewed. It found that four female teachers and two SGB members were assigned to inspect girls, and two male teachers the boys, as they entered the school.
One was the Muslim teacher who the allegations were levelled against. The report stated that four of the five pupils said they had either removed their red strings or were asked to remove it because of the teacher.
One of the pupils alleged that on January 15, at the school entrance, the teacher told her to remove a red string, the report read.
"She did not report the matter on the day because she was worried that her father would be upset. At the time of the incident, she alleged there was no one close by who witnessed what had happened.'
According to the report, the pupil alleged that the teacher instructed her to remove her nose ring and red string.
'She told the teacher that both the ring and the red string were cultural things, so she cannot take them off. The girl further claimed that on January 22, during the assembly, the principal announced that pupils were allowed to wear red strings on the ankle, and when worn on the wrist it must be covered,' the report read.
The second pupil said she was also stopped by the teacher and was questioned about her earring.
'The teacher told her to remove her red string. There was no person close by who witnessed the incident. She did not report to the parents until this came out in the media,' the report stated.
It further stated that the same pupil alleged she was aware that the teacher had cut off the red string of one child last year. The pupil claimed the teacher did not reprimand Muslim pupils.
'She alleged that on the day of the assembly, the principal asked them to obtain a letter from their priest to verify that the string was prayed for,' said the report.
It stated a third pupil said she had removed her red string because her friend told her about their incident, and not because she was told to do so by the teacher.
The fourth pupil said the teacher saw her red string during the inspection and instructed her to cut it off.
'When it was her turn, a male teacher commented on her nose stud, and she told him that it is cultural. It was alleged that the teacher then saw her red string and instructed her to cut it off.
"She then told the teacher that she could not take it off because it was a religious thing. The teacher allegedly threatened her that if she does not take it out, she will put her on SA SAMS. Afraid that if put on SA SAMS her grade percentage would be affected, she then removed it,' the report read.
During the investigation, the Muslim teacher said she was at the school entrance inspecting uniforms with three other teachers. She said she was tolerant of all religions and would never ask Hindu pupils to remove their strings. She said she had issues with uniform transgressions with two of the pupils who had complained about her, the report read.
The report found that four teachers said they did not hear her tell the pupils to remove their red strings nor did the principal tell pupils to hide their red strings. The investigation found that parents and pupils did not come forward for the fear of victimisation. They also claimed the principal was covering up for the teacher, the report found.
'It had to be noted that the pupils remained positive that they were alone when the teacher asked them to remove their red strings at the entrance of the school while the teachers begged to differ. It is therefore concluded that the story created by the three pupils who accused the teacher of asking them to remove red strings did not have substantive evidence,' the report stated.
'Following a careful examination of all relevant evidence, witness statements and personnel, as well as a random sample of pupils from within the school, it is determined that the teacher is wholly innocent of these allegations, and there are no grounds to support any of the alleged allegations,' read the report.
The principal was also found innocent of the allegations.
'This matter has affected the teachers so badly that they need professional help. These two teachers who have enjoyed positive standing and held in high regard in the profession, have been slated in the media by keyboard warriors, fraudulent social media account holders and irresponsible journalists. They are within their rights to seek counsel for the acts of serious defamation against their characters,' said the report.
A parent told the POST they were in disbelief at the report, which basically called their children liars.
'How is she not guilty? How is it possible? Are they saying our children are lying?'
Another parent said she did not decline to attend the meeting.
'I am upset at this result. I was not even told about the meeting. The SGB said they had posted it on the parents' group, but nothing was there. So how did they expect us to attend?'
The parents said they were disappointed with the findings.
Reverend Ethan Ramkuar, director of Survival Centre NPO, took up the matter with the Human Rights Commission (HRC).
'The HRC shared the private and confidential document from the DoE, which I find conflicting with the views and statements from the parents,' said Ramkuar.
'I formed a group where I'm currently communicating with the parents. I also went to Estcourt to engage with the community. We believe that justice will be served. We are currently in talks with the HRC, awaiting its findings,' said Ramkuar.
Professor Brij Maharaj, deputy president of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, said the DoE had not consulted with them during the investigation, and they had not had sight of their report. However, the Sabha had escalated the matter to the Cultural, Religious and Linguistic (CRL) Rights Commission in January 2025, and awaited the outcome of their investigation.
Mpiyakhe Mkholo, the senior communication manager at the CRL Rights Commission, said they received the complaint from the SAHMS.
'We are arranging a meeting with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) regarding these complaints. The mediation process will begin once the engagement with DBE is done,' Pavershree Padayachee, the KZN provincial manager of the SA Human Rights Commission, said they had received the report from the DoE.
'The commission's KZN office wrote to the HOD: Department of Education (DoE) regarding the allegations. The DoE conducted an investigation into the same and they have shared a copy of their investigative report with the commission which we are currently in the process of assessing,' said Padayachee.
THE POST