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Philea Shadang (18), a pupil at Hoërskool Hendrik Verwoerd in Pretoria, is not very pleased with government’s decision to change the name of her school.
When she heard that Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi wanted the school’s offensive name to change, she said: “It’s been the name for a long time. I don’t want it to change”.
She says she knows who Hendrik Verwoerd was, but the name did not offend her.
On Tuesday, Lesufi flagged this school as one of those in Gauteng that must change its name by September.
Lesufi announced this week that any school name or badge that suggested oppression or racial supremacy had to be removed.
“The debacle around the alteration of the emblem of Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool in Pretoria in memory of the Voortrekkers drew my attention to schools with names and symbols that are offensive,” Lesufi said, adding that his department had received numerous complaints.
The emblem of Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool is based on the statue by Anton van Wouw called Die Noitjie van Die Onderveld and was also the emblem of the first Afrikaans women’s magazine.
Lesufi said his department was busy putting protocols in place to start a conversation with schools to change offensive names and symbols.
Schools like Hoër Tegniese Skool John Vorster in Pretoria and Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen in Johannesburg may also be required to change.
Lesufi’s son attends Laerskool Van Riebeeckpark in Kempton Park, but its school governing body chairperson, David Brand, did not think that the institution would change its name because it was named after the suburb.
Neither Hoërskool Hendrik Verwoerd principal Hennie du Toit nor his school’s governing body wanted to comment on Lesufi’s move.
