Equal Education and KZN Dept to square off in court

The organisation's Leanne Thomas claims the right of their members to protest was violated when a demonstration was unlawfully shutdown by police and the Education Department in July two years ago.

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Equal Education says it had planned a public screening of a short film called Long Walk to School outside the department's Pietermaritzburg offices on the 11th of July 2017.

The film documents the struggle by Equal Education to secure access to scholar transport.

The organisation says in a statement that it complied with all formalities in the Gatherings Act and began to protest peacefully.

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Thomas says the protest was peaceful but police threatened to use teargas if they did not disperse.

"We are also asking the court to order the provincial police commissioner and the office of the KZN Education MEC to publicly apologise to Equal Education members for unlawfully shutting down a peaceful protest," said Thomas.

Education's Muzi Mahlambi says they have noted the demands of Equal Education.