Turkish schools broke anti-black taboos in South Africa, says SA minister

South African Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor
South African Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor


Date posted: March 10, 2015

South African Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor has praised Turkish schools operating in her country for helping to break the anti-black taboos of the nation’s defunct apartheid regime, which claimed black people were unable to succeed in mathematics or sciences.

The South African minister said the former racist apartheid regime in her country had seriously damaged its educational system during its rule. Praising Turkish businessmen and educators operating in her country, Pandor said: “The racist regime mostly damaged our education. Black people living in the country were debarred from the education of sciences and mathematics. Then people started to believe that they [black people] could not possibly succeed in these areas.”

Pointing to the positive influence of the Turkish schools on her country’s educational system, Pandor added: “At present, there are students from different ethnic backgrounds [being educated] at the Turkish Star College. The black students [in this college] have had great successes in sciences and mathematics. Some of them have even won gold medals at International Science Olympiads. The Turkish schools have broken the conventional perception against the country’s black people and they contribute to our future with the excellent education they provide.”

The minister was speaking during her visit to the Nizamiye Complex in Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city. The complex was financed by Turkish businessman Ali Katırcıoğlu and has been serving Muslims since Oct. 4, 2012. The complex houses a large mosque, a school, a dormitory, a clinic and a shopping center that includes a traditional Turkish restaurant and bakery. The mosque was modeled on the historic Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey.

The minister was impressed by the Turkish complex, adding, “Nizamiye serves as the best example of how the religion of Islam brings people together and builds a society.”

Addressing the school students as she spoke, Pandor said: “Stay away from drugs, alcohol, bad friendships and do not waste your time. Just focus on your education. Serve your country after graduating from this school as scientists.” The minister left the complex after eating lunch with the school’s students, teachers and administrators.

Source: Today's Zaman , March 09, 2015

Tags: | | |


Related News

Gülen urges Hizmet members to defend prep schools in civilized way

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has urged followers of the Hizmet movement to insist on the “right and logical” and defend prep schools, which the Turkish government has said it will shut down despite tremendous public outrage. In a speech broadcast by herkul.org, a website that usually publishes his speeches, Gülen said not insisting on […]

Turkish schools in Afghanistan won 147 medals this year

Afghan-Turkish schools are source of pride for the country as they won 147 medals this year at international Science olympiads. They won 75 medals last year. The Education Minister made a speech underlining that Turkey had always helped his country in education. He said, “Today, this ceremony’s purpose is to celebrate the efforts the students show and the high quality education these schools provide.”

Prep school transformation plan violates Constitution, experts say

DERVİŞ GENÇ, İSTANBUL A government plan to shut down Turkey’s prep schools — or “transform” them, as the government argues — violates the Turkish Constitution and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), according to experts. “Parliament can neither close the prep schools with a law nor force them to transform. […]

Turkish Deputy PM Ali Babacan visits Turkish, Japanese schools in Sendai

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, during a visit to Japan, on Wednesday visited a Turkish and a Japanese school in Sendai, both of which sustained severe damage in last March’s earthquake and tsunami, the Anatolia news agency reported. Babacan received a warm welcome by the Japanese students of the Matsugahama elementary school in the […]

Frontal assault on free enterprise in Turkey: The case of prep-schools

Erdoğan fired a warning shot across the bow of the Hizmet movement, which operates some one-third of the more than 3,500 prep schools, hoping that the movement would fold under the pressure and shy away from criticizing the government on lingering corruption, the lack of bold reforms, the stalled EU membership process, the failed constitutional work, its intrusion in people’s ways of life and privacy, blunders in foreign policy and the weakened transparency and accountability in governance.

Former football star, İstanbul deputy says he is subject to hate crime

AK Party government used the Hizmet movement, its human resources, intellectual muscle and power in the international arena and at home until it became stronger [than the movement].

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Politics and communities

Bank Asya lawyers call upon B Group shareholders to join against seizure

Very bad things are happening in Turkey

Success stories of Kenya’s Light Academies’ beaming alumni

Gülen book finds wide readership in northern Iraq

Nigeria – Our students should not be victims of Turkey’s high-handedness and authoritarianism

The Ideal of Serving Mankind

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News