South Africa: Pa's Kenny Kunene Brazenly Targets Primary School for Alleged Shona Lessons, Foreign National Learners

15 February 2024
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Masego Mafata

Using xenophobia to campaign is against the Electoral Code of Conduct, say activists.

On Monday Patriotic Alliance's deputy president Kenny Kunene and other party members picketed at a school in Saulsville, Pretoria.

Afterwards, Kunene wrote on X/Twitter: "Today we went to Esikhisini Primary School to make sure that Shona is not taught at that school and we also made a call for Chair of SGB who is a Zimbabwean to be removed. Indeed some kids [are] from Zim and they must be replaced by SA kids."

This comment has been retweeted over 500 times and liked nearly 2,000 times.

When GroundUp contacted the Patriotic Alliance's national spokesperson Steve Motale, he said that the picket was a response to complaints from "disgruntled teachers" about plans to introduce Shona as a language subject at the school.

Yet Shona is not taught in Esikhisini Primary School and the Gauteng education department denies it has received any formal application for Shona to be taught at the school.

According to department spokesperson Steve Mabona, "Principals are allowed to apply for foreign languages to be taught at their respective schools."

Mabona said the application would be accompanied by minutes of school governing body (SGB) and parent meetings to show that there is consensus on the introduction of the...

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