“Pupils dressed as ‘k*ff*rs’ suspended, sport sponsorship withdrawn

By Dolly Menas

6 November 2025

Two white pupils who dressed up in blackface at a Halloween party in Windhoek have been suspended following a public outcry. One of the pupils, a cyclist, has also lost his sponsorship following the incident.

Several social media users condemned a photo of the boys showing the two pupils with ‘K*ff*r 1’ and ‘K*ff*r 2’ tags on their vests.

The party, which took place on private property last Friday, allegedly left black pupils feeling “mocked and uncomfortable”. Several concerned parents are said to have lodged complaints with the authorities following the incident.

[…]

Education executive director Edda Bohn said in an interview with Desert FM yesterday that the two boys, from different schools in Windhoek, are suspended and will not be allowed on school premises. She added that they will be allowed to write examinations.

[…]

“The ministry is investigating the matter and has taken disciplinary action. We cannot tolerate such violations of our Constitution. We are going to issue an order for a media statement on the matter,” she said.

[…]

The word ‘k*ff*r’ is an insult for black people particularly associated with apartheid.

Meanwhile, Hollard Namibia spokesperson Sam Kauapirura, whose institution has been sponsoring one of the pupils as a cyclist, says the institution has terminated the sponsorship following the incident.

[…]

Lawyer Wesele Chikwililwa of Monika Angula & Associates Inc yesterday said imitating other races is considered an insult to one’s dignity, and the boys used a charged term with a negative connotation in Africa. He said any black pupil present at the party or with evidence, has the right to open criminal charges in connection with the incident.

“These words, ‘k*ff*r 1’ and ‘k*ff*r 2’, cannot be divorced from a history of discrimination and racial subjugation that is characterised by the apartheid regime,” he said.

[…].”

• Full report “Pupils dressed as ‘k*ff*rs’ suspended, sport sponsorship withdrawn” on the website of the Namibian (last checked in November 2025).

• Listen also to the report “Halloween party sparks racial debate” of Desert Radio FM including the interview with Education Executive Director Edda Bohn in the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture from 5 November on the website of Desert Radio FM (last checked in November 2025).

• See also the article on blackface in the ‘Glossary’ section of this website.