Hoërskool DF Malan in Bellville is once again in the spotlight after the School’s Governing Body (SGB) rejected a request by a group of parents for a referendum regarding the rejection of the school’s name change.
The name has been a source of contestation as the school is named after the former apartheid prime minister Daniël François Malan, an individual credited for implementing the system of apartheid, which imposed racial segregation laws on many people of colour within South Africa.
While many are welcoming the name change, a group of parents, pupils, and alumni have started a Facebook group titled: “Trots DF Malan ” – to gather support for the existing name and to ensure that the school is not “hijacked by a full-scale transformation agenda,” reports News24.
According to IOL, the school has been in the throes of change as it has recently started the process of reviewing various aspects of the school’s symbolism, including the name.
However, the group have come out guns blazing, stating that the decision by the SGB to change the name would be undemocratic and “misleading,” according to them. In light of this, a series of lawyers letters have been issued to the school as the group is demanding a referendum be held to vote on the renaming if it is to go ahead.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that the governing body wants to steamroll their process. We want to assure you that a lot of ground and preparation work has been done and is being done. This process has not been completed for a long time but is only now warming up. The bomb has not yet exploded,” a post on the Facebook group said.
SGB chairperson Andre Roux stated that they have had a discussion with the group where they tabled their request, however, it was declined.
“There were a number of conditions attached to the referendum, which the governing body would not have been able to accede to in any event, and also, we believe the process of facilitated consultation we had instituted during the second half of last year was the better process to follow.
“The process allowed more parties more opportunities to provide input. We are in the closing stages of this process and do not believe it is in the best interest of the school community to now undo the process of constructive dialogue in favour of a referendum, which by its very nature will be polarising to the community,” he explained.
According to Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson, Bronagh Hammond, the process for the school’s name change is still ongoing.
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