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A Durban school has apologised for T-shirt artwork that offended the African National Congress, the Witness newspaper reported today. | T-shirts bearing the faces of President Jacob Zuma, former president Nelson Mandela and ANC national executive committee member and former police commissioner Bheki Cele with derogatory captions, were displayed at the Westville Village Market Mall in Durban on Tuesday.
Westville High School principal Trevor Hall reportedly told the newspaper "the three artworks in question were created by free-thinking learners as part of their art portfolio for examination".
He said the work was not intended to offend, and he apologised for any offence caused.
The T-shirts were removed as soon as a complaint was received. They had been produced as part of the visual arts curriculum, part of which focused on social commentary.
Comment could not immediately be obtained from Nkosinathi Shishi, the head of the KwaZulu-Natal education department.
KwaZulu-Natal ANC spokesman Senzo Mkhize said on Wednesday that while the ANC was offended, it would also not welcome similar T-shirts featuring opposition leaders.
On Tuesday, the party criticised the display of the T-shirts at the mall.
At the time, Mkhize said the ANC hoped to meet the school.
"We strongly believe that the people involved in this despicable deed, which borders on racism, have a personal vendetta against the ANC and are now using innocent pupils to further their narrow, venomous interests," he said on Tuesday.
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KZN school apologises for T-Shrits
T-shirts bearing the faces of President Jacob Zuma, former president Nelson Mandela and ANC national executive committee member and former police commissioner Bheki Cele with derogatory captions, were displayed at the Westville Village Market Mall in Durban on Tuesday.
Westville High School principal Trevor Hall reportedly told the newspaper "the three artworks in question were created by free-thinking learners as part of their art portfolio for examination".
He said the work was not intended to offend, and he apologised for any offence caused.
The T-shirts were removed as soon as a complaint was received. They had been produced as part of the visual arts curriculum, part of which focused on social commentary.
Comment could not immediately be obtained from Nkosinathi Shishi, the head of the KwaZulu-Natal education department.
KwaZulu-Natal ANC spokesman Senzo Mkhize said on Wednesday that while the ANC was offended, it would also not welcome similar T-shirts featuring opposition leaders.
On Tuesday, the party criticised the display of the T-shirts at the mall.
At the time, Mkhize said the ANC hoped to meet the school.
"We strongly believe that the people involved in this despicable deed, which borders on racism, have a personal vendetta against the ANC and are now using innocent pupils to further their narrow, venomous interests," he said on Tuesday.
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