Walvis teacher suspended over racist rants
STAFF REPORTER
WINDHOEK
The Hillside Christian College at Walvis Bay has suspended a teacher who went berserk with racial rants on Facebook, including telling blacks to “go back to the bush and eat your rotten food like your forefathers” on Sunday.
Schoolteacher Corien Steenkamp, whose Facebook profile is clad with rightwing extremist posts including the apartheid South African flag which that country's Equality Court declared as hate speech in 2019, amplified her racist rants with further remarks that civilisation is not made for black people and that the bible was not written for black people.
“Let that sink into your rotten smelly mouth, go back to the bush and eat your rotten food like your forefathers,” she wrote.
Steenkamp's post went on to say: “Civilisation is not made for black man, that is why the infrastructure has collapsed in the last 30-years.”
“The world already knows, Europe is fed up with uncivilised invaders … that is why [United States president Donald] Trump is building the wall.”
The Grade 2 assistant teacher made the remarks while commenting on the death of Zimbabwean national Hlaisanani Zhou, who died at Otjiwarongo after allegedly being assaulted by five men.
Two white suspects in the matter, Jandre Jansen van Vuuren and Jonathan Myburgh, had allegedly fled from Otjiwarongo and police immediately launched a manhunt, having also publicised posters with the suspects' faces.
Others arrested in connection with Zhou's death are Roberto Katjinamunene, Kefas Kuutondokwa and Hendrik Simapureni.
Commenting on the issue on Sunday on Facebook, Steenkamp remarked: “I wonder if the situation was the other way around; would there still be an outrage or media coverage?”
It was on this thread that Steenkamp went on her racist rant, challenging other Facebook users to show her what blacks had ever invented.
Her school, Hillside, has on its website black kids as part of its student population. The school, on its social media page, condemned utterances by Steenkamp.
“This institute condemns any utterances placing any race, colour, or people group at a higher or lower level or position and want to distance ourselves from such hate speech. We believe and teach that we are all created equal before God,” it said.
“We, together with our legal advisers are currently dealing with the situation, and the process will be fair, just, and professional,” it added.
Former Walvis Bay junior mayor Omar Van Reenen called for the termination of Steenkamp's employment contract at the school.
Reacting to the news that Steenkamp's conduct would be dealt with, Van Reenen wrote on his Facebook page: “Amandla, Awethu! Fighting for what's right, is always worth it. Thank you everyone. We came together as Namibians and we stood up for equality. Racists aren't welcome here.”
WINDHOEK
The Hillside Christian College at Walvis Bay has suspended a teacher who went berserk with racial rants on Facebook, including telling blacks to “go back to the bush and eat your rotten food like your forefathers” on Sunday.
Schoolteacher Corien Steenkamp, whose Facebook profile is clad with rightwing extremist posts including the apartheid South African flag which that country's Equality Court declared as hate speech in 2019, amplified her racist rants with further remarks that civilisation is not made for black people and that the bible was not written for black people.
“Let that sink into your rotten smelly mouth, go back to the bush and eat your rotten food like your forefathers,” she wrote.
Steenkamp's post went on to say: “Civilisation is not made for black man, that is why the infrastructure has collapsed in the last 30-years.”
“The world already knows, Europe is fed up with uncivilised invaders … that is why [United States president Donald] Trump is building the wall.”
The Grade 2 assistant teacher made the remarks while commenting on the death of Zimbabwean national Hlaisanani Zhou, who died at Otjiwarongo after allegedly being assaulted by five men.
Two white suspects in the matter, Jandre Jansen van Vuuren and Jonathan Myburgh, had allegedly fled from Otjiwarongo and police immediately launched a manhunt, having also publicised posters with the suspects' faces.
Others arrested in connection with Zhou's death are Roberto Katjinamunene, Kefas Kuutondokwa and Hendrik Simapureni.
Commenting on the issue on Sunday on Facebook, Steenkamp remarked: “I wonder if the situation was the other way around; would there still be an outrage or media coverage?”
It was on this thread that Steenkamp went on her racist rant, challenging other Facebook users to show her what blacks had ever invented.
Her school, Hillside, has on its website black kids as part of its student population. The school, on its social media page, condemned utterances by Steenkamp.
“This institute condemns any utterances placing any race, colour, or people group at a higher or lower level or position and want to distance ourselves from such hate speech. We believe and teach that we are all created equal before God,” it said.
“We, together with our legal advisers are currently dealing with the situation, and the process will be fair, just, and professional,” it added.
Former Walvis Bay junior mayor Omar Van Reenen called for the termination of Steenkamp's employment contract at the school.
Reacting to the news that Steenkamp's conduct would be dealt with, Van Reenen wrote on his Facebook page: “Amandla, Awethu! Fighting for what's right, is always worth it. Thank you everyone. We came together as Namibians and we stood up for equality. Racists aren't welcome here.”
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article