WATCH | ‘We are scared’: Foreign parents protect children at Addington Primary School in Durban
Foreign parents rally at Addington Primary School amid fears of child remov.
Image: Xolile Mtembu
Foreign national parents stood guard at Addington Primary School on Thursday morning, claiming to fear March and March forcibly removing their children from the facility.
This comes after the anti-immigrant group descended on the school on Tuesday, claiming that it favours pupils from foreign national parents.
When IOL visited the school on Thursday, Sikizani Furaha, a parent originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) said the community was filled with fear.
"I'm here because I heard that the people from March and March are going to chase our kids away from the school," said Sikizani Furaha.
"They don't care whether the kids are documented or not; they just chase everyone away. We are very scared because they also chased us away from Addington Hospital."
Furaha added that the vigilante group purports that Addington Primary has become a school for foreigners. "The only reason that there are many of us here is that we are staying in the area."
Another parent, Oscar Nyamabo, expressed the same fear.
"Our presence here is because we feel that our children are not safe. So, we came to protect our minors," Nyamabo. "What is happening is not fair because there is no way in the world that children can be admitted and others come and request that they be taken out.
However, March and March leader, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma told IOL that they went to the school to advocate for parents whose children had not been admitted.
Ngobese-Zuma said the organisation clashed with the foreign parents who reportedly told her that their children deserve an education as well.
"They told us that this is their country too and they don't want their children to be in overcrowded classes," Ngobese-Zuma said.
"The parents who are there were moved because of the floods. They are new in the area and couldn't get space. The department is not assisting them."
According to her, about 60% of the children at the educational facility are from foreign parents. "They don't even pay school fees. The children were there, and they were crying. I feel helpless."
South African parents also demonstrated frustration with the school. "We have been coming here since March last year," said Khanyisela Sithinte. "They kept telling us that the facility is at capacity. Even the security guards refuse to let us in."
Sithinte said she has been frequenting the school to no avail.
"My child is at home while others are here getting an education. She is supposed to be in Grade 1, but is still at home, sleeping."
Zethembiso Mthembu, who has also been going to the school for months, said that on Wednesday, parents were made to write their children's names on a list but not briefed as to what would come next.
She accused foreign nationals of being aggressive and confrontational. "They waved money at our faces, saying, 'money talks' because they know that we're poor. This is really hurtful. We have no idea what to do.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has emphasized that the right to basic education remains protected and cannot be withheld due to missing paperwork.
"The law says that no child may be denied access to education because of missing documents," the department said.
It cited the South African Schools Act (SASA), as amended by the BELA Act of 2024, which obliges public schools to admit learners and provide education without discrimination.
Referencing Section 5(1) of the Act, the DBE said: "A public school must admit, and provide education to, learners and must serve their educational requirements for the duration of their school attendance without unfairly discriminating in any way."
The DBE further clarified that schools are not permitted to exclude learners while awaiting documentation, reinforcing that "learners must be allowed to attend school even if required documents have not yet been provided".
IOL News