Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Education and leadership projects Media statements | Media statements

Principal must apologise after remarks against white people

ByAfriForum 13/06/202213/06/2022

Samthini Patrick Duna, Principal of Barkley East High School, had to apologise for a post on his Facebook page which was derogatory and racist toward white people. He also had to remove this post. This follows after AfriForum in a letter to Duna requested the apology for and removal of the post.

The post, which was made on Duna’s Facebook page on 25 May 2022, states that: “Some stupid white racists will never change and it doesn’t matter how educated they are. I wish we could have a shrewd and firm leader like Paul Kagame. Someone who would let these nuisances rot in jail or chase them back to Europe like he did to the Chinese.”

According to Natasha Venter, Advisor for Education Rights at AfriForum, such remarks are unacceptable and especially concerning coming from someone in a position of power who oversees the education of children.

“This post could have been seen by anyone with access to Duna’s Facebook-page – including learners at the school. As the principal of a school, he is actually supposed to set an example, but he rather chose to fan the flames of racial hatred by making this post. We hope that Duna really learnt something from this incident and that he will in the future not judge people based on the colour of their skin – as he indicated in his apology,” says Venter.

Duna also indicated in his apology that he does not believe that anyone should be jailed or “chased back to Europe” based on their race and that South Africa belongs to all who live in it.

The Provincial Department of Basic Education in the Eastern Cape also indicated in the media that they would take disciplinary steps against Duna pending an investigation into the post. AfriForum will monitor these proceedings.