Principal Faces Charges of Misconduct for Husband’s Volunteer Gardening in Gauteng Department of Educations’ Politically Motivated Campaign
In a surreal twist in the ongoing saga at a South African school, Pretoria High School for Girls (PHSG), Principal Mrs. Phillipa Erasmus has been found guilty of misconduct, not for any racial wrongdoing, but for allowing her husband to volunteer his time pruning roses and maintaining the school’s gardens without compensation.
This verdict, handed down by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), marks the latest chapter in what critics describe as a politically motivated campaign against the school’s white minority leadership, despite the collapse of earlier racism allegations.
The saga began in July 2024, when twelve white Matric students were suspended over a WhatsApp group accused of containing alleged “racist” messages.
The GDE, led by MEC Matome Chiloane, launched an aggressive publicity campaign, fueling sensational media coverage.
However, an independent disciplinary hearing cleared the students of all charges on August 1, 2024, finding no evidence of racism in the messages, which merely expressed frustration at race-baiting by peers.
Even former President Thabo Mbeki, after reviewing the WhatsApp transcript, confirmed in a scathing 13-page letter to Gauteng officials that the accusations were baseless, accusing the GDE of deliberately distorting facts to “smear” the school.
Undeterred, the GDE shifted its focus to Mrs. Erasmus, suspending her and several staff members for 95 days while investigator Charles Mdladlamba, a long-time GDE contractor, probed alleged “misgovernance.”
His report, which remains unpublished despite legal challenges from the school governing body, led to disciplinary action against Erasmus.
The charges? Failing to properly advise on the appointment of a finance manager, a decision made by the governing body, not Erasmus, and allowing her husband, Mr. Erasmus, to volunteer in the school gardens and use a school governing body-owned vehicle to collect gardening supplies, with full permission from the governing body.
The absurdity of the latter charge is staggering. Mr. Erasmus, who maintained the school’s gardens at no cost, was accused of “improper supervision” of staff and potential “nepotism,” despite no financial benefit to him or his wife.
The vehicle use, to pick up donated terracotta pots and gardening equipment, was deemed misconduct because Erasmus, as principal, should have had “total oversight,” according to presiding officer Mr. V. Phephenyani. This, despite the vehicle belonging to the governing body, not the school or the GDE, and its use being fully authorized.
The GDE’s case, built on flimsy grounds and riddled with errors, appears to be a desperate pivot after failing to substantiate racism claims.
As Richard Wilkinson noted in an opinion piece on PoliticsWeb, the department’s tactics suggest a broader agenda: “If we can’t get her for racism, we’ll get her for something else.”
Critics argue this reflects a campaign to seize control of PHSG, a historically white, high-performing school, driven by envy, greed, or ideological hostility toward its leadership and demographic.
Media’s Role in Perpetuating the Narrative
The media’s framing of this case, particularly through social media posts on X, has amplified the GDE’s narrative with little scrutiny.
City Press, part of the same publishing group as News24, shared News24’s article on X with the headline: “PTA Girls High: Principal guilty because husband trims roses.”
Their accompanying post stated: “The head of Pretoria High School for Girls, where controversy over a ‘racist conversation’ on a WhatsApp group emerged last year, has been found guilty of allowing her husband to assist with maintaining the school gardens without compensation.”
This framing, echoed across both brands under the same publisher, trivializes the charge while linking it to the debunked racism allegations, implying misconduct without clarifying that no evidence of racism was found.
By omitting critical context, such as Mbeki’s intervention, the unpublished Mdladlamba report, or the GDE’s pattern of targeting the school’s leadership, the X post risks misleading the public, subtly endorsing the GDE’s narrative and perpetuating the perception of wrongdoing at PHSG.
What’s Next for Erasmus and PHSG?
Mrs. Erasmus, supported by Advocate John Mullins SC and his pro bono legal team, plans to fight the verdict.
She will submit arguments in mitigation before Phephenyani determines her sanction, which could threaten her salary, pension, and the school’s stability.
An appeal to MEC Chiloane, the architect of this campaign, seems futile, but Erasmus can pursue redress in the Labour Court.
Her case echoes that of Anneke Smit, a teacher who overturned a baseless racism charge in 2022 with Solidarity, a South African trade union, supporting her, highlighting a pattern of GDE overreach.
A similar case unfolded at Bergview College in Matatiele, where Principal Jaco Pieterse, also white, faced false accusations of raping a 7-year-old student in October 2024
AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, led by Gerrie Nel, defended Pieterse, asserting he was 2 km away at the school’s main campus with no contact with the victim on the alleged date.
Nel’s investigation suggested the assault likely occurred later at a community party, not at the school.
Despite no evidence implicating Pieterse, social media and political figures, including ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula, fueled a disinformation campaign, prompting death threats and defamation.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu later apologized for wrongly identifying Pieterse as a suspect, and Pieterse filed crimen injuria charges against Mbalula and others, showing a clear pattern of targeting white educators with baseless claims.
The persecution of Erasmus attests to a broader threat to educational excellence in Gauteng. If successful, this campaign could embolden similar attacks on other high-performing schools, eroding meritocracy under the guise of “diversity.”
For now, Erasmus stands firm, her resolve a testament to the fight for fairness against a backdrop of absurdity, where pruning roses becomes a crime, and innocence is no defense against political vendettas.
Politicsweb: The ludicrous persecution of Mrs Erasmus
City Press: PTA Girls High: Principal guilty because husband trims roses
IOL: Teacher cleared of racism allegation – Pretoria
Politicsweb, Cwecwe: Principal being falsely accused – Gerrie Nel
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