Dept stands by Wentworth principal's appointment

Assegai Primary School was placed on lockdown this week by angry parents after KZN Education appointed a teacher as the new principal.  

They feel the acting principal, who's been serving in the position for two years, is the right person for the job.  

The body's chairperson, Andre de Bruin, says the department had asked them who their preferred candidate was.  

He says they were surprised when a new candidate was brought in.

"Why ask us all that when you already have someone appointed. I don't care if you come from Nigeria, if you have the qualifications and the vision that this school adopts, then you can have the appointment. It's the department that is making it racist," he says.

The body has slammed claims by the department that it's unhappy because the new principal is black. KZN Education's Muzi Mahlambi says the decision to appoint the principal will not be revoked. 

"You can imagine that at this day and age - we still have some members of the communities who would be bold to mobilise people on a racial card. As the department, we stand by our appointment. We are engaging community leadership and the school governing body," he says.