Mother of the 'racially segregated' child in SA school speaks out. 'I was mortified'

Mother of the 'racially segregated' child in SA school speaks out. 'I was mortified'

Mother of the child allegedly “racially separated” at a creche in Centurion, South Africa has spoken out. The controversial photo said to be suggesting racism was leaked on social media last week. It shows a black child sitting alone at a table while six white classmates are having laughs around a table next to her, enjoying cupcakes. In the picture, the black child appears to be looking at them.

Thobo Wanatsha Mosinyi told Rekord she was shocked to receive a photo of her child sitting alone from his mates at Koetjies and Kalfies Kleuterskool. 

The picture was sent by Ane Muller, a teacher at the school and the daughter of owner Anel Engelbrecht.

"I was mortified," said Mosinyi. "I contacted Ane and asked her if this was what my daughter goes through on a daily basis. This broke my heart and so I rushed to the school and collected my daughter."

Mosinyi said Muller told her she had been scolded by her mother for sending the photograph.

"I yanked my daughter out of the school and thought I could at least get an apology from the school. Instead, Engelbrecht turned the tables on me, asking why I was calling her family racist."

Mosinyi said Engelbrecht’s explanation was flawed as there were seven lunch tins on the one table while her daughter was sitting alone.

"My child looked so confused, she was looking onto the other table while other children were sitting happy together enjoying cupcakes," she said.

She dismissed Engelbrecht’s claims that the school was picking the child from home in the mornings and dropping her off in the evenings, thereby helping the mother financially.

"I paid the creche R3000 a month for school fees and paid them R1000 for transport. Engelbrecht cannot lie and say that she was assisting me. I even have proof of payments made to the school on my behalf," said Mosinyi.

She said she wanted to move on now but also wished to raise the awareness of other parents.

"I’m over what happened really. For now, I just want to raise awareness to parents of Indian, Coloured and Black children not to go through what I had to go through."

She had since removed her child from the creche and said she was on the lookout for another creche which would offer the best treatment to children.

Gauteng MEC for basic education, Panyaza Lesufi visited the creche last week when the news broke on social media. He tweeted that he visited the school and found that the children were only being taught by white teachers, with the black employees working as maids. He said he had assigned a social worker to do “what is right". 

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) picketed outside the creche last Friday afternoon. Its spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi tweeted that no child should be subjected to racist education

Source: Centurion Rekord