Twelve students from Pretoria High School for Girls have been suspended following allegations of racism.

The suspensions follow a planned protest by a group of students last Friday. The protest was triggered by alleged racially-motivated complaints about Black students, expressed in a WhatsApp group consisting of White students.

The Gauteng Education Department spokesperson, Steve Mabona stated that an urgent meeting was held last Friday with the students planning the protest. “The School Governing Body (SGB) decided to suspend all the implicated students, with their disciplinary hearing scheduled for July 30th and 31st 2024. The District has already launched its own investigation.”

He added, “It is crucial that the school environment upholds the right to education. We cannot tolerate any form of ill-discipline or racial discrimination in our schools.”