Libellous claims regarding South Peninsula High School called for a prompt response

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Cape Argus reader's Ellen Fedele’s letter, “School’s buses create traffic congestion” (Cape Argus, November 18), left Brian Isaacs, Former Principal at South Peninsula High School, compelled to respond to her remarks. Below are the two letters that were published in the Cape Argus: School’s buses create traffic congestion When is the City going to do something about the appalling traffic congestion and chaos that South Peninsula High School creates daily, morning and afternoon with their numerous buses on Old Kendal Road?

It have large fields directly opposite the school which are used at most twice a year for sports practice. What a waste of land… has nobody at the school thought of alleviating the situation by making part of the fields’ parking bays for both buses and parents’ cars?

This school has a long history of being totally oblivious to the issues they cause, from the previous principal and the scandals surrounding him.

It seems the new administration has just carried on this tradition, with no thought of the community around them… thinking only of themselves and their own needs.

* Ellen Fedele, Plumstead.

** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

Libellous claims regarding South Peninsula High School called for a prompt response

Ellen Fedele’s besmirching letter about South Peninsula High School (SPHS) is unacceptable.

SPHS was affected by the dastardly Group Areas Act. Parents refused to send their children to another school.

For nearly 30 years, the non-racial community of SPHS fought the Group Areas Act. The school is part of the history of Steurhof, and its fight for justice is well known - a history of which SPHS can be proud.

The SPHS community has a history of co-operating with its neighbours.

It is when certain residents use racist means to complain about SPHS that the school will always fight the master-slave relationship inherent in areas affected by the Group Areas Act.

The school lives by the saying of South African poet and writer Don Mattera: “Memory is the weapon.”

The school will then respond boldly to unwarranted criticism.

Ten buses transport our pupils from various parts of the city to SPHS. It takes 15 minutes in the morning to drop pupils at the school and 15 minutes for the buses to leave.

The road has also been widened so as not to stop the flow of traffic.

Not satisfied with the bus issue, Fedele then further criticises the school’s leadership.

She says that as a former principal, I was involved in many scandals.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines a scandal as something shameful or disgraceful.

I challenge her to publish the shameful or disgraceful acts I was responsible for at SPHS.

She needs to be careful about making libellous statements her writing indicates she is prejudiced against a school with an impeccable human rights record.

I wanted to ignore her letter, but her accusations needed a prompt response.

* Brian Isaacs, Former Principal at South Peninsula High School.

** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

Cape Argus





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