Westerford High School in Rondebosch has come under the spotlight due to racial and offensive social media posts directed at black and mixed-race students, originating from an account believed to be associated with a student at the school.
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As reported by IOL, the school authorities have initiated an enquiry regarding the social media account in question.
The Instagram account, going by the handle Grade8a_2023, displays distressing images related to slavery, and several students from the school have been mentioned or tagged in these posts. The caption, accompanied by a laughing emoji, reads: ‘I found your family.’
There is also a photograph of an individual of Khoisan descent, with a caption falsely identifying them as a staff member at the school.
A photograph depicting a group of individuals of mixed racial backgrounds was circulated with a message advocating for violence against people of mixed race. The caption reads: ‘and Coloureds should choose if they are black or white they look like the San and the Khoi.’
Another Instagram story posted on the account expressed a desire for the reinstatement of the apartheid regime. The caption read: ‘I wish apartheid returned.’
An image on the social media account portraying black slaves bound by chains around their hands and necks. The accompanying caption reads: ‘Who wishes all these black people could leave our classes and go back to where they came from.’
The identity of the individual responsible for managing the social media page remains unknown at this time.
Westerford High School notified its students, parents, and guardians about the series of racist posts. The school acknowledged its awareness of the situation and clarified that the Instagram account in question was not an officially recognised Westerford page.
As stated in the letter, this incident has caused distress and trauma among the pupils, staff and parents involved. The school administration and the governing body have conducted consultations in response to the situation.
Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), acknowledged that the department had been informed about the incident and assured that an investigation was underway. Hammond verified that the offensive posts did not originate from an official school account and emphasised that the school administration had unequivocally condemned the offensive comments.
The origin of the account, whether it was hacked or created by a student at the school, remains unclear.
According to reports, students within the class have raised questions about the source of the discriminatory content, which was traced back to a single individual.
In response to the incident, the school organised a meeting with Grade 8 students and provided counselling services for those in need.
Hammond said that a separate session will be conducted for other students and parents seeking additional information. The school will continue offering counselling support in the coming days.
Efforts are underway to identify the individual responsible for the social media account.
Hammond explained, ‘If the account was hacked, then the school would need to consider what action can be taken against the outside perpetrator. If a pupil was involved, then disciplinary action will be instituted.’
She emphasised that the school maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of discrimination and will proceed with disciplinary actions in accordance with the established code of conduct.
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Pictures: Westerford High School/ Facebook