Anti-Immigrant Activists March on South African School to Protest Teaching of Shona Language

Members of a small South African opposition party, known for its anti-immigrant stance, staged a protest at a public school in Pretoria on Monday, demanding an end to the teaching of the Shona language.

Led by Kenny Kunene, the deputy president of the Patriotic Alliance party, activists converged outside Esikhisini Primary School in Atteridgeville, donning green T-shirts bearing the party’s name. They asserted that approximately twenty percent of the school’s students were Zimbabwean.

During talks with school authorities, Kunene claimed that the school, led by Principal Mr. Nkabinde, had not formally applied to the Department of Education to introduce Shona into the curriculum. However, he alleged that the School Governing Body’s Zimbabwean chairman was collaborating with education officials to implement the language program.

Speaking to the protesters, Kunene denounced the potential inclusion of Shona, stating that it was not part of the curriculum and accusing the education department of entertaining the proposal. He vowed to escalate their protest by demanding the removal of Zimbabwean learners and the SGB chairman.

In a subsequent statement, Kunene reiterated their opposition to the teaching of Shona at the school, emphasizing their commitment to ensuring its prevention.

The Patriotic Alliance, under the leadership of Gayton McKenzie, has positioned itself on an anti-immigrant platform ahead of the upcoming elections. This demonstration follows a previous action where activists filmed Zimbabweans crossing the Beitbridge border into South Africa without following immigration procedures.

Estimates suggest a significant Zimbabwean population in South Africa, with tensions arising over access to social services amidst economic and political challenges in Zimbabwe. The issue of undocumented foreign nationals has become a focal point in the upcoming elections, with President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighting its impact on the country’s social and economic landscape.