Somerset West school says Nazi salute ‘wasn’t meant to offend’

TALI FEINBERG

The photo was displayed on the home page of the school’s website. That is, until Twitter users noticed it, and shared the photo on social media, along with their outrage. Following the outcry, the school replaced the photo with another one of all learners standing formally, without any Nazi salutes.

But the internet doesn’t forget, and screenshots show the original photo. Martin Waltham was one of the first people to pick up on the photo after a friend researching schools shared it on Facebook. Waltham visited the website, and took a screenshot of the photo, then shared it on social media. Waltham said the photo should make all South Africans concerned as it represented hatred, anti-Semitism, neo-Nazism, and racism.

Somerset West Private School was founded in 1998 by Morne Coetzer, who is also the principal. Its website says it offers classes from Grade 7 to post-matric level.

Coetzer put out an official statement in response to the outrage. “It has come to our attention that there have been objections to a matric photo where some learners give what appears to be a Roman salute,” the statement read. “While we don’t believe the learners intended to offend anyone, we have removed the photograph from the website.”

A Roman salute might be mistaken for a Nazi salute as it, too, has the arm fully extended, facing forward, with palm down and fingers touching. In some versions, the arm is raised upward at an angle, in others, it is held parallel to the ground. However, in this day and age, it is widely considered a symbol of fascism. It was made compulsory within the Nazi Party in 1926, and gained nationwide prominence in the German state when the Nazis took power in 1933. Since the end of World War II, displaying the Nazi salute has been a criminal offence in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland.

According to Coetzer, “Somerset West Private School’s primary objective is to maximise the academic achievement of its learners. We don’t promote or support any particular political or religious views. Learners are encouraged to develop as individuals, think freely, and express themselves freely, provided that such expression doesn’t impair the dignity of others.”

The SA Jewish Report asked the school how the picture landed up on its website, and whether the school and its pupils were aware that it was a Nazi salute and was offensive to many groups, including Jews. It also asked what the school would do to educate its pupils about this, and whether the three pupils concerned would be disciplined. Finally, it asked whether the pupils would be visiting the Cape Town Holocaust & Genocide Centre in the future. The school said Coetzer was “too busy” to respond by the publishing deadline.

Mary Kluk, Tali Nates, and Heather Blumenthal of the South African Holocaust & Genocide Foundation said, “the insensitive use of Nazi imagery and symbolism is deeply hurtful. The photograph of learners displaying the Nazi salute once again highlights the need for quality Holocaust education. The South African Holocaust & Genocide Foundation through its three centres invite the Somerset West Private School community – pupils, teachers, and parents – to visit and spend time reflecting and learning about this catastrophic genocide. As the Holocaust recedes in time, society is becoming increasingly casual and disrespectful of the mass murder of millions. The work of our three centres is more urgent than ever and as painful as this photograph is, it’s a learning opportunity which we hope will be pursued immediately.”

Rael Kaimowitz, the chairperson of the Cape council of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) said, “We categorically reject the ‘it was only a joke’ excuse frequently put forward by those guilty of such behaviour, nor do we accept the ‘only youthful high spirits’ argument. Regardless of what the intention might be, those who make Nazi salutes are in practice publicly identifying with – and arguably even propagating – a hateful, ultra-racist ideology that directly led to the greatest genocide of modern times.”

Stuart Diamond, the executive director of the council, said the Cape board would engage with the school to discuss the best way forward. This might include bringing in the Cape Town Holocaust & Genocide Centre to conduct an education programme for the pupils, as its Johannesburg counterpart had done in similar cases.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said it will conduct a preliminary investigation into the incident. Speaking to News24, SAHRC commissioner Andre Gaum, who is responsible for basic education, said it had not received a formal complaint but that it would “assess [the situation] and investigate the facts”.

“[We will] then we will come up with the necessary approach to deal with it, which can take various forms – it can be in the form of a directive, it can also be alternative dispute resolution or we could take the matter to the Equality Court,” Gaum added.

He said the SAHRC would make an assessment on the matter and how to take the issue forward.