ANC’s bizarre witch hunt at Pretoria Girls High driven by political vendetta

A political storm brews at Pretoria High School for Girls as headmistress Philippa Erasmus faces questionable misconduct charges after being cleared of racism allegations. DA MPL Sergio Dos Santos claims the school is being unfairly targeted by Gauteng's education department, raising concerns of political vendettas, lack of transparency, and the misuse of new education laws to centralise control..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.The auditorium doors will open for BNIC#2 on 10 September 2025 in Hermanus. For more information and tickets, click here..Watch here.Listen here.BizNews Reporter .The ongoing saga surrounding Pretoria High School for Girls has taken another controversial turn, with claims of political vendettas and administrative overreach now taking centre stage. Speaking to Alec Hogg of BizNews, Gauteng Democratic Alliance MPL Sergio Dos Santos outlined what he described as a deeply troubling campaign by the provincial Department of Education against the school’s headmistress, Mrs Philippa Erasmus.According to Dos Santos, the issue began with a WhatsApp group involving a number of white learners allegedly making racist remarks about black learners. The school administration, led by Erasmus, investigated and found no evidence to support the racism allegations. Despite this, the Gauteng Department of Education escalated the matter, suspending 12 learners and launching a comprehensive investigation into the school’s culture.“The department wasn’t happy with the outcome and launched a full-scale investigation that was supposed to take seven days but ended up lasting three months,” Dos Santos explained. “They looked into areas far outside the original terms of reference, even asking for documents going back five or six years.”Eventually, Erasmus was cleared of any racism-related misconduct. However, new charges were laid against her, including nepotism for allowing her husband to do voluntary gardening work on school grounds, and procedural issues around the appointment of a finance officer. As a result, she received a sanction of three months without pay, a decision Dos Santos describes as "ridiculous."“There was no financial misconduct, and her husband wasn’t paid for his work,” he said. “The only ‘fault’ was that he used a school bucket to buy materials for landscaping. It sends a dangerous message to parents who want to volunteer their time.”Dos Santos claims that the school is being targeted by certain figures within the department, potentially due to political motivations and misconceptions about the school's demographics. “Some officials believe it’s still a ‘white’ school, but in reality, most of the learners are non-white. I’ve been there. I’ve seen them,” he said.The issue, Dos Santos contends, reflects a wider agenda to use newly enacted legislation - particularly the BELA (Basic Education Laws Amendment) Act - to centralise control over schools' admissions and language policies. “Pretoria Girls High is likely being used as a test case. Premier Lesufi and MEC Chiloane have made it clear they want to enforce top-down policy changes.”He further raised concerns about double standards within the department. More serious cases at other schools have received far less scrutiny, he claimed, citing an example where a principal approved a school trip without proper authorisation, resulting in student deaths. “That principal was suspended for three months and then returned. But Pretoria Girls High is treated like public enemy number one,” said Dos Santos.One particularly concerning aspect, according to Dos Santos, is the withholding of the official investigation report. Neither Erasmus nor her legal team has been allowed to view it. “If the department has nothing to hide, they should redact the names and release it. Transparency is essential,” he urged.The MPL also suggested that personal motives may be at play. Allegations have surfaced that one of the department officials involved has a child at the school and owes it money - a potential conflict of interest that raises further questions.As of now, the future for Mrs Erasmus remains uncertain. Dos Santos recommended that she appeal the sanction and explore further legal avenues. “It’s an extraordinary situation,” Hogg noted in closing, “and one that risks further damaging South Africa’s already fragile education system.”In the midst of broader concerns about governance, racial politics, and the autonomy of public schools, the Pretoria Girls High School affair serves as a stark reminder of the complex and often politicised nature of South Africa’s education landscape.

ANC’s bizarre witch hunt at Pretoria Girls High driven by political vendetta

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