Yesterday, a delegation of Black First Land First (BLF) national leaders led by our President Andile Mngxitama, held a succeful meeting with the Executive Director of Amnesty International for Southern Africa, Shenilla Mohamed, in Johannesburg.

The two organizations met on the request of BLF. The main concern of BLF was the use of the image of the architect of apartheid, Hendrick Verwoerd, to promote the #SignTheSmileOff Verwoerd’s face campaign in furtherance of addressing the deplorable educational system.

We are pleased to report that after a robust and frank engagement, Amnesty International has agreed that the image of Verwoerd would be removed within a week and the second phase of the campaign will unfold without the Verwoerd image. This is an important development.

BLF has expressed its endorsement of the objectives of the campaign of Amnesty International which serve to deal with the appalling crisis of apartheid education.

BLF calls on all leaders of society, irrespective of party political affiliation, to take action and address the ongoing crisis in our education. The black learner is facing an educational genocide.

BLF will be writing to the Speaker of Parliament to get parliament to address this situation. Moreover BLF shall write to the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU), as the main trade union in the education sector, to lead the battle in addressing the crisis in our schooling system.

We share the concerns of Amnesty International that 25 years after the formal end of apartheid, the state of education for the black child remains appalling. Now is the time for action, not long speeches!

Issued by Black First Land First, National Coordinating Committee of (BLF NCC)

15 August 2019

Contact Details

Black First Land First Mail: [email protected]

Zanele Lwana
(BLF Deputy President)
Cell: +27 79 986 7225