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A wide cross-section of civil society - unions, students
organisations, faith based groups, community organisations and NGOs -
with a collective membership of over a million people, strongly
condemn the decision taken by the authorities to ban a peaceful march
for the right to a quality public education for all, planned for June
10th 2010.

This growing coalition of civil society has been brought together by
our deep concern around the state of education. While children in
South Africa have formal 'access' to schooling, the lack of quality of
education is a crisis. South African education is deeply divided and
not serving our children. The crisis in education puts our democracy
under threat.

We have come together to take forward an education campaign calling
for a "Quality Public Education for All". As a part of this campaign
we have been organizing a peaceful march on the 10th of June for
quality education for all of our children. We have just been informed
by Johannesburg Metro Police, without any substantive reasons , or
legal basis, that all marches and gatherings, including ours, have
been banned in South Africa for the whole of June until 15th July
2010. A scheduled meeting with the police to discuss the refusal was
cancelled without adequate explanation.

We are deeply concerned by this suspension of our Constitutional
right to assemble, protest and present petitions at this important
moment in our history. This bodes ill for our democracy and we call
on all to raise their voices against this violation of our rights.

Corresponding with an Education Summit announced by President Zuma for
Heads of State during the FIFA World Cup, and motivated by the
President's call for all citizens and world leaders to increase their
commitment to quality education for all, this growing coalition had
planned a public march to Constitutional Hill on the 10th of June, the
day before the opening of the World Cup. The peaceful march for the
children of Africa reflects the best of the history and future of
South Africa - where we can come together, across all differences, and
protect and achieve human rights for all.

Meaningful public participation to address the crisis in education
must be supported by the government. They should not pay lip-service
to participation; the march for quality education should be encouraged
and celebrated, not prohibited. Our hard won constitutional rights,
for which we continue to struggle, cannot be taken away by the whim of
police-officers or politicians.

The actions of the Metro Police and South African Police Services are
unconstitutional. We are therefore intending to challenge it legally,
and if necessary make an urgent application to the High Court. We will
continue to actively organize for this peaceful march on the 10th of
June, and continue to work tirelessly for quality and equal education
for all. We also call on all concerned members of the public to raise
their voices against this violation of our civil rights and to send
your names to ppen.info@gmail.com where they will be added to a
petition.