Tongue-Tied Tensions: Angry Protests As South African School Teaches Shona Language

South African opposition party Patriotic Alliance activists held a march to Esikhisini Primary School in Pretoria yesterday, protesting the teaching of Zimbabwe’s Shona language.

The anti-immigration party’s Deputy President Kenny Kunene led the demonstration, claiming that 20% of the school’s pupils were Zimbabweans.

Patriotic Alliance Protests The Teaching Of Shona In A South African School

The activists donned green T-shirts bearing the party’s name. They chanted outside the school, demanding the removal of Zimbabwean pupils and the Zimbabwean chairman of the School Governing Body.

Kunene addressed the protesters, stating:

“The school has applied to the Department of Education to teach Shona here. We met with the principal, Mr Nkabinde, who says he has not applied to the Department of Education for Shona to be taught here, but our information is that the chair of the SGB is a Zimbabwean, and he is the one who is orchestrating with the department to teach Shona.

“This is a public school. Shona is not in the curriculum. We understand that the department is entertaining this nonsense. We are here to demonstrate our anger and dissatisfaction at what they are trying to do to our communities.”

He further declared their intention to replace Zimbabwean learners with South African ones, asserting:

“We will find parents whose children were denied a place at the school and direct the principal to ‘take out a Zimbabwean and put a South African.’”

Kunene later went to his X account and spoke about the protest:

“Our protest was to make sure that Shona is not taught at that school.”

Today we went to Esikhisini Primary School to make sure that Shona is not taught at that school and we also made a call for Chair of SGB who is a Zimbabwean to be removed. Indeed some kids a from Zim and they must be replaced by SA kids. Salute pic.twitter.com/KwEtADSs90

— Kenny Kunene (@Kenny_T_Kunene) February 12, 2024

The Anti-Immigration Fight

The Gayton McKenzie-led Patriotic Alliance is rooted in an anti-immigrant rhetoric as the 2024 elections loom. Last month, McKenzie led party activists to Musina in Limpopo Province to block Zimbabweans from swimming into South Africa.

ALSO READ: Gayton McKenzie Addresses Viral Photo with Mnangagwa as He Blocks Zimbabweans Crossing Into South Africa

South Africa’s census report from October indicated over a million Zimbabweans in the country, although some estimates suggest a higher figure. The influx of Zimbabweans fleeing economic and political instability has led to tensions with local communities over access to social services.

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