What may appear to be a storm in a teacup at first glance reveals a much deeper and alarming pattern of anti-Semitism and the marginalisation of minority groups within the educational sector.
The controversy centres on a tennis match between the Jewish King David School in Linksfield, Johannesburg, and Roedean School that did not take place this week.
In conflicting statements from the two schools, the two principals – Ms Lorraine Srage of King David and Ms Phuti Mogale of Roedean Senior School – interpret the events very differently. Srage maintains allegations of anti-Semitism, while Mogale insists that the participants had other commitments.
According to Srage, King David’s players showed up for a tennis league match, but Roedean’s players never turned up. She claims that in a telephone conversation Mogale confirmed that King David’s identity as a Jewish school led to the withdrawal and that Roedean was prepared to forfeit the league points.
Mogale denies this, stating that the withdrawal was due to academic commitments. She acknowledges that their decision was poorly communicated and says the school is investigating its own failure.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) is in possession of two audio recordings, allegedly of conversations between the two principals. In the first conversation, a female, purportedly representing Roedean, explicitly states that King David’s Jewish identity is the problem. In the second recording, the person denies this. The Freedom Front Plus cannot make any pronouncement on the authenticity of the recordings.
Against the broader backdrop of South African education as a whole, it may seem trivial for two privileged, independent schools in Johannesburg to miss a tennis match. Yet the possibility that ethnicity is an underlying factor makes it serious.
Section 235 of the Constitution entrenches the right of every community sharing a common linguistic and cultural heritage to freely express its identity. The South African Jewish Board of Education, under whose authority the ten King David schools in Johannesburg operate, meets all the requirements of this section.
It would, therefore, be unconstitutional for another school to pressure the school to distance itself from its identity whether through sports boycotts or any other means.
Section 235 refers to cultural rights that may be exercised in terms of South African legislation.
In the Freedom Front Plus’s view, cultural groups that wish to do so are justified in seeking legislation that guarantees their right to culture-based education without consequent discrimination.
The party, therefore, plans to take action in this matter.
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