Pupils dressed as ‘k*ff*rs’ suspended, sport sponsorship withdrawn

Two white pupils who dressed up in blackface at a Halloween party in Windhoek have been suspended following a public outcry. One of the pupils, a cyclist, has also lost his sponsorship following the incident.

Several social media users condemned a photo of the boys showing the two pupils with ‘K*ff*r 1’ and ‘K*ff*r 2’ tags on their vests.

The party, which took place on private property last Friday, allegedly left black pupils feeling “mocked and uncomfortable”. Several concerned parents are said to have lodged complaints with the authorities following the incident.
The Namibian understands that one of the implicated pupils posted a photo on social media wearing the controversial costumes but was later forced to remove the photograph.

Education executive director Edda Bohn said in an interview with Desert FM yesterday that the two boys, from different schools in Windhoek, are suspended and will not be allowed on school premises.She added that they will be allowed to write examinations.

“They are suspended until further investigation and admissions to other schools for their advanced subsidiary levels will be under scrutiny,” she said.

“The ministry is investigating the matter and has taken disciplinary action. We cannot tolerate such violations of our Constitution. We are going to issue an order for a media statement on the matter,” she said.

Bohn denied that the ministry advised one of the pupils’ schools to take legal action against the media if the school’s name was published, as alleged by one of the schools on Tuesday.

“If the school wants to take legal action against me because I am engaging in a conversation with you, I would think that is out of order. This matter has reached the public domain and, therefore, we take a public stance and that cannot be subdued by anybody,” Bohn said.

“Nobody can prohibit you, me or anyone else from having a conversation about this, whether it is in the media or not,” she said.

The word ‘k*ff*r’ is an insult for black people particularly associated with apartheid.

Meanwhile, Hollard Namibia spokesperson Sam Kauapirura, whose institution has been sponsoring one of the pupils as a cyclist, says the institution has terminated the sponsorship following the incident. “We informed the pupil of this yesterday [Tuesday],” he says.

Halloween is celebrated worldwide on 31 October each year. It originates from All Hallows’ Eve, the day before the Christian feast of All Saints’ Day, and is associated with traditions such as wearing costumes and hollowing pumpkins for lanterns.

Lawyer Wesele Chikwililwa of Monika Angula & Associates Inc yesterday said imitating other races is considered an insult to one’s dignity, and the boys used a charged term with a negative connotation in Africa. He said any black pupil present at the party or with evidence, has the right to open criminal charges in connection with the incident.

“These words, ‘k*ff*r 1’ and ‘k*ff*r 2’, cannot be divorced from a history of discrimination and racial subjugation that is characterised by the apartheid regime,” he said.

Retired lawyer and ombudsman John Walters echoes these sentiments, saying the black pupils who were subjected to the insult can file complaints with the ombudsman against those responsible.

“If you call someone a k*ff*r, you are violating a person’s dignity. The ombudsman amicably resolves matters and makes recommendations,” he says.

In a letter to parents on Tuesday, the deputy principal of one of the schools apologised to the affected pupils, adding that the responsible pupils also tendered their apology.

The letter emphasises that the incident did not take place at the school.

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