Two Northern Cape primary schools where 95% of the staff members are white have lost a court bid to fill vacancies with more white teachers. Kathu Primary, in the province’s ‘iron ore capital’, and Seodin Primary, in Kuruman, went to the High Court in Kimberley when the provincial head of education refused to rubber stamp the appointments of three white men.

But, notes TimesLIVE, Judge Bulelwa Pakati said head of education Tshepo Pharasi acted ‘reasonably and rationally’ in vetoing the appointments, recommended by the school governing bodies. Pharasi told Seodin Primary, where half the 845 pupils are white, 40% are black and 10% coloured: ‘Your educator component is almost entirely white (and) ... your school management team is entirely white. It is required of the school governing body to adhere to the principles of redress, equity and representivity. The recommendation of the school does not suggest that this has been the case.’

He sent a similar letter to Kathu Primary, where the 1 625 pupils comprise 40% white, 31% coloured and 29% black pupils.

What appeared to be a ‘jobs for pals’ arrangement at Kathu was described to the court. In her judgment, Pakati said the recruitment processes at the two schools also contravened Education Department rules by failing to give short-listed candidates five working days’ notice of interviews.

A short-listed black teacher from Aliwal North, 650km from Kathu, withdrew from the interviews after being given only two days’ notice.

Two Education Department officials told the judge he would have scored the highest because of his equity status.

‘The two officials also found that some candidates were underscored, which made the process unfair,’ said Pakati.

Full TimesLIVE report