A South African school has been accused of racism as students report that the school rules forbid African hairstyles such as bantu knots, dreadlocks, Afro and braids.
Pupils at Pretoria Girls High School have accused the school for allegedly forcing students to apply chemicals to straighten their hair.
According to the News24, the school views African hairstyles like Afro as untidy and unfit for students.
The students have held a protest over the weekend, taking to the streets to demonstrate their demonstration against the school rules.
https://twitter.com/LindiweMaile/status/770265223563505664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The fact that they're protesting… I'm proud of them. This is bigger than hair! #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh pic.twitter.com/NAzO9QRZ6g
— xoNecole (@xonecole) August 29, 2016
They were told by their school that their hair is "untidy." They are now protesting.#StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh pic.twitter.com/WEaRZqbQQF
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 29, 2016
SA hair protest: 'Natural beauty. Leave our sisters alone' https://t.co/ObHG0iLXAa #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh pic.twitter.com/NTGdWidAWn
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) August 29, 2016
black girls threatened for walking against the racial injustices of the school. #stopracismatpretoriagirlshigh pic.twitter.com/eMoGLOTCTT
— Ra's al Ghuluva (@SiyaNtombela_) August 28, 2016
https://twitter.com/noirpaz/status/769980212599779334?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/ANicheOfLight/status/770211898839146496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, visited the school on Monday, August 29, 2016, saying he was disappointed.
Adding that a decision would be made on the future of the school after the School Governing body had met.
However, according to BBC, the school rules which does not specifically mention Afro hairstyle and also banned students from speaking vernacular has been criticized by Nathi Mthethwa, the Art and Culture minister.
The minister who took to twitter to express his dissatisfaction had said that it was unacceptable to ban students from speaking African language at school.
Schools should not be used as a platform to discourage students from embracing their African Identity. #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh
— Nathi Mthethwa (@NathiMthethwaSA) August 29, 2016
Mmusi Maimane, leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance party, also expressed his displeasure via Twitter:
My daughter has an Afro. It's the only way she wears her hair. Would she not be allowed at PTA girls?
— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) August 29, 2016
