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

Sultan of Zing: Erdogan’s power trip makes African pit stop

Erdogan came to Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar believing that if he waved around the prospect of massive investment, the governments would shut down the Gulen schools and give marching orders to the Turkish nationals running them. It turned out at the African states quite like having well-resourced schools catering for the local elites and did not oblige.

Pakistan: Islamabad High Court rejects petition by Erdogan’s Maarif Foundation

The Islamabad High Court, while rejecting the petition filed by Turkey’s Maarif Foundation, decreed that there was no meaning in the foundation’s demand for inclusion in the case as it was out of the question for such foreign structures to find in themselves any right to take over the [Pak-Turk] schools in Pakistan.

D-8’s Alam calls on everyone to support Turkish schools

Alam said people should donate to Turkish schools inasmuch as they can afford. “Little or more, everyone should give support to these schools. As a sign of this, I promise to donate $5,500 to these schools every year,”

Islamic scholar Gülen criticizes Turkish gov’t response to Gezi protests

Gülen said he had heard of Turkish officials’ efforts to “undermine Turkish schools abroad” which are run by his movement in many countries across the world. “Unfortunately, this appetite for destruction pushes all fair limits. These schools were established through the great self-sacrifice of the people of Anatolia,” he said.

Gulen followers encourage education, awareness

In spite of the recent subversive attempts to have cleric Fethullah Gulen extradited to Turkey, members of the Alliance for Shared Values are encouraging education and awareness to combat the government’s tactics.

Students of Fatih Schools take first place in LYS and TEOG exams

Students of the Fatih Schools network — which are inspired by the faith-based Gülen movement — popularly known as the Hizmet movement — were the top scorers in both the Transition from Primary to Secondary Education (TEOG) exams taken from Nov. 26-27 and April 29-30 and the Undergraduate Placement Examination (LYS).

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

The gov’t in Turkey is committing genocide

An interesting debate in the European Parliament

Hunger…

Think Twice on Turkey: Erdogan’s Purges Are a Warning to Washington

Judge suffering cancer jailed in Kocaeli, wife under detention in Tokat

Fethullah Gülen’s message to his sympathizers in the aftermath of the coup attempt

Turkey’s development agency spying on Gülen followers in Latin America

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News