A police bomb expert angered by the lack of English-medium schools for her children in the Namaqua district of the Northern Cape has been found guilty of serious misconduct after sending an e-mail to education department officials and principals threatening to burn down schools.
Warrant Officer Brenda Matebe, acting commander of the police’s explosives section in Springbok at the time, was handed a written warning on November 23 after being found guilty of improper, disgraceful and unacceptable conduct.
Matebe, who had since 2018 been campaigning for English-medium classes in the Namaqua district, landed in hot water after sending an e-mail in July to Charmain Cupido-Erasmus, who is chairing a task team that is looking into the provision of English-medium education in the district.
Frustrated after a meeting was postponed, Matebe, herself a member of the task team, told Cupido-Erasmus: “We are under the impression that this task team is not a priority to you and the department. We are still waiting for the minutes of our first meeting that was in May and the attendance list. Do you want us to burn the schools down? We need a response to this question by Tuesday next week.”
The team, comprising provincial education officials, principals, governing body members and parents, was formed in May to investigate ways of implementing English classes, especially in Springbok.
According to provincial education statistics, 21,553 or 98.6% of the pupils in the Namaqua district are Afrikaans-speaking, and are served by 73 Afrikaans schools. By 324 pupils want to be taught in English.
After receiving the e-mail, Cupido-Erasmus complained to Matebe’s superiors.
In an “information note”, the provincial head of criminal record and crime scene management, Brig Thabo Moeng, said Matebe contravened regulations by sending an e-mail “to imply an attempt, conspiracy or incitement to commit arson”.
We are under the impression that this task team is not a priority to you and the department. We are still waiting for the minutes of our first meeting that was in May and the attendance list. Do you want us to burn the schools down?
— WO Brenda Matebe
Cupido-Erasmus told the divisional commissioner of detective and forensic services, Lt Gen HK Senthumule, that “by virtue of [Matebe’s] line of work, such implications should not be taken lightly”.
She said Matebe’s e-mail was “very disturbing and seen as a direct threat to the safety of schools and also the children attending schools in our area”.
She said safety concerns following Matebe’s e-mail were also raised by principals who were members of the task team.
“Her knowledge places her in a position where she has the necessary ability and means to cause damage to property of the schools and the imminent injury to children.”
Cupido-Erasmus said Matebe also sent her WhatsApp messages almost daily about the meeting’s minutes.
“I do understand that Mrs Matebe may be frustrated by the fact that the meeting was postponed and minutes were not available. The way she, however, conducted herself by issuing a threat is unacceptable.”
Primary school principal Rudolf Nel complained that Matebe’s conduct was “very serious” and asked for her to be removed from the English task team.
Another member, circuit manager Marthinus Engelbrecht, said: “I was very concerned about this threat by her.”
But Matebe, who has a daughter in grade 9 and a son in grade 5, said she wrote the e-mail on behalf of parents whose children were “suffering because of being taught in Afrikaans” and were frustrated over the long delay in providing classes in English.
In November 2020, she told MPs on the basic education portfolio committee that the exclusive use of Afrikaans in Namaqua schools “is limiting our black children’s capability of getting good marks”.
“We have been actively providing data that proves that there is a need for English education but the department does not seem to have a real plan.”
She told the Sunday Times that when she sent the e-mail to Cupido-Erasmus she was off duty and did so in her private capacity.
“Even though I am a police official, I have rights, including parental rights to fight for my kids. I am still more determined than ever to make sure they start these English classes,” she said.
“If I have to be the one that is punished for it, then I am willing to be punished. I am willing to put everything on the line.”
Cupido-Erasmus referred queries to the provincial education department.
Northern Cape education spokesperson Sydney Stander welcomed the action taken against Matebe as “it will send a clear message to all task team members to behave accordingly”.
“The idea of reporting her was to make her realise that her conduct was viewed seriously and also to call her to order.”
He said the task team was drafting a presentation on phasing in English lessons for head of department Moira Marais and MEC Zolile Monakali.
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