Sne Masuku

Sne Masuku

The school governing body (SGB) of Roseland Primary School in Newlands, Durban, has filed court papers to challenge the education department's decision to remove CCTV cameras in classrooms.

The department will be served with summons today, or at the latest tomorrow.

The SGB took the decision after the department's officials failed to attend a meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday.

SGB chairman Lindinkosi Ntombela told Sowetan yesterday that after the department failed to attend the meeting to try and settle the matter out of court, they had no option but to seek redress in court.

Ntombela said the department would have to tell the court the reasons behind the decision to remove cameras.

The month-long chaos surrounding the installation of CCTV cameras in classrooms at the school finally came to an end last week.

A security company, with instructions from the department, removed the cameras after being pressurised by teachers, who downed tools about a month ago contesting the installation of "spy cameras" in their classrooms.

The teachers had accused their school principal, S'thembiso Lushozi, of installing the cameras to spy on them. After the cameras were removed, teachers returned to classes.

Teaching has since returned to normal at the school.

Ntombela said the decision to install cameras in the classrooms was taken by parents and the SGB "for safety reasons".

Lushozi said he had called the security company to remove the cameras after he received a letter from the department of education instructing him to do so.