Twelve learners from Pretoria High School for girls who were suspended last week for their alleged role in a WhatsApp group targeting black pupils have been found not guilty.
Spokesperson for the Gauteng MEC of Education Steve Mabona says the Student Governing Body (SGB) found the learners not guilty due to insufficient evidence and inconsistencies with testimonies.
He says they respect the decision by the SGB as they have the legal right to make these decisions.
Mabona says the MEC Matome Chiloane will now launch an independent investigation into the school to determine whether a culture of racism exists.
Eight suspended learners who had been were stripped of their prefect status had their badges returned.
The implicated learners faced charges of violence and bullying, disruptive behaviours and violation of school rules, all for which they were found not guilty.
Chiloane says according to the report they received from the SGB, the content from the WhatsApp group was found to be inconclusive and did not substantiate the charges of violence, bullying, or disruptive behaviour. The SGB’s ruling further stated inconsistencies in the testimonies and lack of solid evidence from the WhatsApp group contributed to the decision of the SGB to find the learners not guilty.
He says the MEC's independent investigation will not focus on the 12 learners but rather on the school as a whole.
No mention was made of the suspended principal and a 13th learner who was suspended for making a video with racist undertones, which she published on social media in February.
