Page 114 - The Mending Season

the Black girl home? Most listeners said nothing justified vio­ lence. However, they also maintained there should be some sort of disciplinary measure taken against the White girl for saying something so offensive.In the Sowetan, a columnist headed her column, “Have you ever been called ‘Kaffir?” In it, she stated clearly that she did not condone any kind of violence: “Let me just say that it is neverjustified to hit someone in anyway”, but that she did not support abuse either. “And uttering racist slurs is a form of abuse. I’d like to know - and every South African should ask - how the school plans to deal with that.”At school, everyone was absorbed in the story, taking in every word and discussing their thoughts every time they had the chance.“We are here in this assembly today to discuss a few school rules,” Mrs Allison started in her high-pitched voice, her cheeks in flames.“First, while you’re all free to do whatever you please off school grounds, you may not take information about the school to the newspapers without the schools permission. Tm sure you are all aware of a crisis we have recently had on our hands (she looked up and squinted at the sun and inhaled as if taking in something from the air), and there are many jour­ nalists out there waiting to take advantage of you. You’re young and unsuspecting. And it’s understandable that youwould like to see your name or be quoted in the paper. These people would like you to tell them things about our school so that they can look at us and say ‘this does not work’. They can point to us and disregard all the positive changes we’ve made in the past little while ...”She paused for us to take in her words. She clasped and un­ clasped her hands and then put one hand on her chest while making a fist with the other. “They want to say that people of different colours coming together does not work. Some of us114