Tense Standoff at Addington Primary Eases as Admission Dispute Between Local and Foreign Parents Draws Intervention

A temporary truce has been reached at Durban’s Addington Primary School following escalating tensions over allegations that South African pupils were overlooked in favour of children of foreign nationals, a dispute that culminated in clashes between parents from both groups.

Representatives from lobby group March on March, together with supporters from the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, took up the cause on behalf of local pupils who were denied admission when schools reopened last Wednesday.

Claims surfaced that the school’s principal had not acted impartially in handling pupil admissions.

Police intervention was required, including on Friday, to contain the situation as local and foreign parent groups confronted one another. Officials from the Department of Education also became involved in an effort to find a way forward.

Responding to the flare-up, department spokesperson Mlu Mtshali said there was no evidence to support allegations that the principal had favoured one group of learners over another.

“There has been a lot of disinformation circulating around this matter,” Mtshali said. “There is misinformation about the number of learners admitted, and we are saying that the principal will, in due course, provide those statistics. Once that is done, we will be able to inform the public and the media how many learners have been registered and what the demographics look like.”

The department is expected to meet with school staff on Monday for further deliberations on the matter.

March on March is also expected to meet with Addington Primary’s management on Wednesday to continue discussions on accommodating 66 South African learners who were denied admission when schools reopened last week. The movement’s leader, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, confirmed that 66 South African children were unable to secure places at the school.

Ngobese-Zuma said that while foreign learners would not be removed immediately, the priority was to secure placement for South African pupils, particularly for the 2027 academic year, to prevent a recurrence of last week’s events.

“The school plans to place as many learners as possible at Addington, and those who cannot be accommodated will be referred to other schools, on condition that transport is provided.

“School management is expected to meet with the education department to finalise these arrangements,” Ngobese-Zuma said.

A foreign national from the Democratic Republic of Congo described the fear and hardship faced by migrants in South Africa, particularly the impact on children’s access to schools and healthcare, as well as their ability to work and live peacefully.

She said foreign nationals were subjected to trauma, insecurity and financial hardship, and called for unity, peace and recognition of shared humanity across Africa.

“Many migrants are forced to leave their home countries because of war and instability, especially in Congo. The responsibility lies with home governments and broader African cooperation to resolve these conflicts,” she said.

Sifiso Xulu, a member of the South Beach community who has lived in the Point area for more than 30 years, said he attended the protest as a concerned parent.

“I was present at this protest because I want to see the problem resolved,” Xulu said. “I was encouraged to see MK Party members, March on March members and other individuals coming together to address the Addington issue.”

He criticised social media posts opposing the march, including slogans such as “hands off South Beach”, saying the issue at Addington was genuine and required intervention.

“What it appears now is that the school is full of foreign nationals’ children. The government system that allows foreign nationals to study here raises concerns and needs to be addressed,” Xulu said.

Another March on March member, Lindani Xulu, who was also present at the protest, alleged that there was widespread corruption at Addington Primary School. He claimed that a woman involved in outreach work at the school played a role in facilitating the enrolment of certain learners.

Xulu further alleged that he had video footage showing the woman arriving at the school with a child on January 13, before schools officially reopened.

DAILY NEWS