A man accused of violently pushing a pupil and her mother at the Crowthorne Christian Academy during a dispute over the learner's dreadlocks, has been granted R2,000 bail in the Midrand Magistrate's Court.
Andries Hendrik Booysen, 51, was charged on Friday morning, according to Gauteng police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonodwane said Booysen, the owner of the school, is facing two counts of common assault after he allegedly violently pushed a pupil and her mother during a dispute over dreadlocks at the school.
Mjonodwane said the matter was postponed to October 2, 2023.
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which has been picketing outside the school slammed the “racist decision” of the school to block the pupil from attending classes because of her hair.
Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson Steve Mabona confirmed the school was not registered, and he told Sowetan the 13-year-old pupil has been offered alternative schooling and counselling while the department was "assisting the school to comply and encouraging all unregistered institutions to engage with the department for assistance with registration processes".
EFF Gauteng provincial chairperson Nkululeko Dunga condemned the school and its policy, which they said institutionalised racism "by raising white people's genotypic and phenotypic characteristics as the standard for what is natural and those of African people as unnatural".
"We deplore such a policy because it seeks to suggest there is something abnormal and problematic about African people and our blackness and that we must strive and evolve to a higher and more acceptable standard, whiteness.
"The Crowthorne Christian Academic is an independent school with a policy that allows only learners with natural hair in the school.
"This policy is predicated on the racist notion that natural hair means relaxed and straightened hair inherent to white people, whereas curly hair and dreadlocks, characteristic of black people's hair, are considered unnatural and therefore prohibited from the school," he said.
Dunga said they were standing in "solidarity with the victimised learner and her family, and we call on swift action from the Gauteng Department of Education in ensuring that the school and those responsible are brought to book".
The School Policy
The school's code of conduct on hair, which was shared on social media, states: "All children's hair must be clean and neat. Only natural hair is allowed. Only plain haircuts are permitted. No fashion clippings or shaves are allowed. No hair extensions are permitted.
"No bleaching / colouring / highlights, etc. allowed. Girl's hair must be kept out of the eyes, once it reaches collar length, it must be tied up. Girls may tie up their hair in ponytails, a neat bun or neatly braided hair. (maximum two ponytails or two buns)," it said.
"Girls may only wear red, white or blue hair accessories. (Accessories: ribbons and clips, no beads). Boys' hair must be kept short."
Principal Tanya Booysen had allegedly told the pupil’s parents in text messages that she would not be allowed in class as her "hair extensions" were against the school code of conduct.
The parent responded and informed her that there were no hair extensions in the pupil's hair, explaining that it was the pupil’s own hair.
IOL