Race row fuels riots at Witbank Technical High School [video]

Racial lines have been drawn outside Witbank Technical High School where parents have traded fists.

By / / Viral
witbank technical high school

Tensions have spilt into violence outside Witbank Technical High School where a large group of parents have gathered to protest, on Monday.

Watch: Parents clash at Witbank Technical High School

Footage of the ongoing demonstrations recently surfaced on social media, where parents, grouped by race, were seen clashing outside the school premises.

Mpumalanga govt denies fight was racially motivated

The scenes witnessed above are a consequence of a school brawl that went viral last week. The video clip that’s the root cause of Monday’s riots caused outrage on social media, when pupils of different races were seen exchanging fists.

On Friday 11 June 2021, a day after Mpumalanga education MEC Bonakele Majuba conducted an inspection at the school, it was determined that the fight was initially between two Grade 10 pupils. Moreover, upon further investigation, MEC Majuba concluded that the fight was not racially motivated.

This determination, however, has not been wholly accepted. Especially, since Devon Hofmeyr, son of Afrikaner musician Steve Hofmeyr, was seen in this clip, warning parents against making demands “to the same people who taught your ancestors how to read and write.”

In another clip, Devon was seen rallying up a large group of non-black pupils, shortly after the brawl. While it’s unclear what was said, the clip shows Devon only addressing white pupils, seemingly rallying on the group after the fight had been de-escalated.

At the time this article was published, tensions were still rife outside Witbank Technical High School.