An anti-LGBTQ+ “Faith, Family & Freedom” conference scheduled for 14 March at Cape Town’s Somerset West Primary School has been cancelled. This follows concerns raised by parents and community members about the nature of the event and its suitability for a public school venue.
However, controversy has persisted after a similar message was reportedly delivered on the school premises the following day during a church-linked gathering.
The planned conference was organised by ONE80, an organisation founded by former Idols South Africa winner-turned pastor Heinz Winkler, and was set to feature speakers including Christian theologian Simon Brace from Ratio Christi.
Video message attacks diverse families
The concerns were prompted in part by a video circulated by Brace promoting the conference and encouraging parents to attend.
In the video, Brace claims that South Africa is “in trouble” and links the country’s social challenges to changes in how families and gender are understood.
“South Africa is in trouble, and if you love our country and you want to make a difference, then it starts here,” Brace says in the message.
He goes on to argue that universities are promoting ideas that challenge traditional family structures and gender norms.
“At the centre of critical theory is the demand for the destruction of the nuclear family,” he claims. “How do you do that? By changing people’s understandings of what a man or a woman is, or bringing in new concepts of the family and disrupting cis-heteronormativity.”
Brace also alleges that these ideas are being introduced in schools through teachers and educational institutions.
“We have to get into the schools and equip the teachers to go in there and disrupt the ideas in the minds of the young kids at schools,” he says in the video, adding that Christians and families need to “wake up” and be part of “fighting” these developments.
SGB cancels event after concerns raised
According to correspondence seen by MambaOnline, a group of parents formally wrote to the school on 11 March, raising concerns about the event and its framing around LGBTQIA+ issues, gender identity and education.
In their letter, they emphasised that their concern was not about freedom of religion or expression, but about “the appropriateness of hosting a politically and ideologically charged mobilisation event at a public primary school,” particularly one that engages directly with issues affecting learners.
The school principal, Jacobus Van Schalkwyk, acknowledged the concerns and indicated that the matter had been escalated to the School Governing Body (SGB), which is responsible for decisions regarding the use of school facilities.
“I hereby acknowledge your e-mail and the concerns raised,” Van Schalkwyk wrote in response. “As a WCED employee, I underlined the concern raised by you, that the education department and its facilities, should be impartial, when it comes to the beliefs of learners of the school.”
He added that the school had not been aware of the content of the planned event and had referred the matter to the SGB for consideration.
In a follow-up communication, the principal confirmed that the SGB had acted decisively.
“The SGB held an emergency meeting… [and its] decision was unanimously in favour of cancelling the event at school,” he said.
Legal guidance sought
Speaking to MambaOnline, Van Schalkwyk outlined the process followed by the school and the governing body as concerns escalated:
“I received an email from the concerned parent this morning about the church service on Sunday. I informed the SGB about the concerns raised by the concerned party. The SGB has a meeting tonight to discuss this matter.
“The SGB contacted FEDSAS, who is the custodians of SGB’s in South Africa. The SGB is waiting for feedback from the legal department of FEDSAS regarding this matter. The legal advice from FEDSAS will be shared with the concerned party.”
Ratio Christi’s stated position
Brace’s Ratio Christi describes itself as a Christian apologetics organisation focused on engaging university students and promoting a biblical worldview.
In a statement approved by its board of directors, the organisation says it is committed to “a biblical Christian worldview that seeks to glorify God” and to affirming “Christ as King in every aspect of the created order and in every sphere of human endeavour.”
The organisation also sets out a specific position on sexuality and marriage. According to the statement, Ratio Christi affirms that sexual intimacy “is designed by God to be expressed solely within a marriage between one adult biologically born male and one adult biologically born female.”
The statement adds that “sexual relations of any kind outside the confines of marriage between one man and one woman are inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture,” while encouraging members of its community to pursue what it describes as sexual purity and chastity.
At the same time, the organisation says its leaders are expected to treat everyone “with respect and Christ-like compassion,” and that it seeks to engage difficult conversations “with humility and love.”
Sunday service raises further concerns
Despite the cancellation of the Saturday event, a collective of concerned parents and community members says the situation did not end there.
In a follow-up letter dated 16 March, they allege that a similar presentation was delivered on the school premises the following day during a LoveKey ministry service.
“One important detail to note is that although the ONE80 event was cancelled, the same speaker and essentially the same presentation were delivered the following day (15 March) during the LoveKey ministry service held on the school premises,” the group told MambaOnline.
The group argues that this created “the impression that the SGB’s decision had effectively been circumvented,” as the same themes and messaging were still presented on school grounds.
They further stated that both talks centred on the idea that “there is only one legitimate model of family, a heterosexual mother-and-father household,” and suggested that LGBTQIA+ people and diverse family structures were framed as a threat to that model.
Calls for further investigation
In their correspondence, the concerned parents have called on the SGB to investigate the circumstances under which the Sunday service proceeded and whether it aligned with the conditions under which external organisations are permitted to use school facilities.
They also raised concerns about the broader implications for learners.
“Many parents are concerned that messaging like this, delivered on school premises, contributes to an unsafe environment for learners and families who do not fit that narrow definition,” the group said.
Policy and public interest questions
The situation raises broader questions about the use of public school facilities for events that engage in ideological debates around gender, sexuality and family life.
The Western Cape Education Department’s Circular 0018/2024, which references Section 36 of the South African Schools Act, makes clear that governing bodies must ensure that activities hosted on school property do not place learners at risk or conflict with the school’s legal obligations.
“A governing body may not allow any activity on school property that is hazardous to learners or prohibited by this Act,” the circular states.
The use of public education spaces for events perceived as exclusionary or stigmatising remains a matter of ongoing public debate, particularly in a country where constitutional protections for LGBTQIA+ people coexist with what some believe are conflicting religious convictions.
For Somerset West Primary School, the episode underscores the importance of ensuring that school environments remain safe, inclusive and respectful for all learners and families.
2 Responses
The fact that events of this nature are even contemplated is baffling – surely the school understand the nature of an event that they will be hosting and either agrees or decides against hosting such. I grew up in the 80’s and while there was Christian National Education and the bible was forced down our throats I do not remember ever having an outside religious based organization visit to espouse their vitriolic propaganda – and that’s saying something for those times. That this kind of event is even considered at a primary school is just mind-blowing. It is also very strange that the governing body only found out about it when parents raised the issue – it sounds to me more like a matter of a disconnect between school management i.e. the headmaster and governing body.
This sort of message breeds divisiveness. A public school is not the venue to hold such rallies. The fact that they went ahead with their conference the next day- albeit it in a different form- speaks to nefarious motives.
This kind of bigotry and hate towards normal every day people, smacks of Nuremberg fascist ideology.
Well done to the parents, principal and SGB for taking a stand.