Gerhard Louw
turned to the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) after being axed for
misconduct for allegedly using a racial slur when addressing two black
students.
Louw was
dismissed in November 2024 following the incident during the winter school of
that year when seven girls were relocated from the Northern Cape High School
hostel to the Technical High School hostel in Kimberley.
One of the
girls, M, testified that a day after their arrival, Louw, who was the
supervisor at the hostel, came out of his residence and was not pleased with
the idea of having them stay at the hostel.
She testified
that Louw approached her while she was standing with R and accused them of
tarnishing the school's reputation and called them the k-word.
She stated that
the encounter left them in shock, as they could not comprehend the aggression
directed at them, as they had not provoked Louw in any way.
She further
added that before walking away, Louw told R, "Al kan jy my so kak kyk, jy
kan my vokol maak nie," translating to "Even if you can look at me
like that, there's nothing you can do to me."
L, another
student present during the incident, supported M’s account, confirming she
heard Louw’s racial slur and his threats, which he made in front of his own
wife.
In his defence,
Louw argued that having girls in the predominantly male hostel was
inappropriate and expressed frustration about their behaviour.
While he did
not recall using the racial slur, he did acknowledge being angry and admitted
to the insulting comment about their conduct.
However, he
suggested that his wife and a certain Mrs Lith could testify to his version of
events, although neither was available to do so during the proceedings.
Evaluating the
case, David Pietersen of the ELRC said
the two learners gave credible testimonies without contradictions, which in
essence made them reliable witnesses. IOL
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