NO FANCY HAIRSTYLES FOR SWAZIS

MBABANE – Chemical straightening of hair by pupils in local schools is discouraged, as most school-going children come from poor households that cannot afford maintaining the hairstyles.

Well, at least according to the acting Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training Dr Sibongile Mnthsali.
Mntshali said this during an interview with Times SUNDAY, on Friday, when responding to questions on the recent debate in South Africa, highlighted by alleged racism at Pretoria Girls High.
The allegation made against the school by black and Muslim pupils was to the effect that the school’s policy forced them to chemically straighten their hair.

The pupils alleged that rules were in place to discourage hairstyles such as afros, bantu knots, dreadlocks and braids.
One girl was allegedly barred from writing her exam because her hair was somewhat ‘spiky’ and ‘unkempt’.
Apart from their hair, the pupils claimed they were banned from speaking their mother languages at the school.

Mntshali said the position of the ministry was that uniform worn by pupils was for them to be presentable and each school prescribed how and what forms part of their uniform.
She said that locally, it was unheard of for pupils to be forced to chemically straighten their hair, such that she hardly followed the story which was all over the South African news agencies.
“Asikwati tsine kutsi umntfwana  angaba forced kutsi afake imitsi enhloko, akusiso siSwati,” Said Mntshali.

Mntshali said maintaining the fancy hairstyle was expensive and it was generally accepted as a fact that most Swazis do not have money and were poor.
She said they would rather send the children to schools to get a decent education with the little money that they had instead of spending it on hairstyles.
“For the ministry to insist that schools have uniform, we want all children to look the same, whether from an impoverished or wealthy the pupil should not feel left out,” the acting PS said.
She said it was for that reason schools had uniform and such a policy has proved to be effective since time immemorial.

Newly-elected Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General, Zwelithini Mndzebele, said the official handover had not been done. Therefore, he was not able to speak on behalf of SNAT.

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