PCD College owner, Christo Buchling. Picture extracted from a video by Pico Production.
Listen to PCD College director Christo Buchling informing former paid learnership students with different disabilities and Moderate Intellectual Disability (MID) that they are “slow learners and lazy” and uses different vulgar words including an F* word.
READ THE RESPONSE OF NIEL CLOETE OF WEAVIND AND WEAVIND INC. ON BEHALF OF PCD COLLEGE TO OUR MEDIA ENQUIRY ABOUT THE AUDIO. THIS PUBLICATION HAS OPTED TO PROTECT THE IDENTITY OF THE FORMER STUDENTS WRITTEN IN THE RESPONSE.
In
our article, published on 24 June, Deaf students and others with different disabilities had alleged that
similar words were used on them, allegedly by their supervisor, Joshua
Viviers. However, the College had denied
the allegations that students were called such names.
The
Deaf and hearing students with disabilities had informed this publication that
this was hurtful as slowness is part of their disability.
The Deaf students had alleged to this publication in its first article published on 24 June, "Our supervisor, Joshua calls us stupid, slow and gives us the middle finger. We once reported it to the owner, Chris [Buchling] that our supervisor showed us a middle finger, instead he was on the supervisor’s side. We gave up thinking it is allowed for white people to insult us like that.”
Viviers
had declined to comment on the said allegations stating, “You have already
spoken to the management, and it is under investigation. I cannot comment while
it is under investigation.”
PCD College’s attorney, Cloete said on behalf of the College, “The college took the allegations very seriously and Mr Viviers attended a disciplinary hearing with an external appointed chairperson. The employee had the opportunity to state his case and defend himself against the allegations made. After due process being followed, he was found to be not guilty.”
In
response to various media enquiries by this publication, the letter forms part of the responses from Cloete on behalf of PCD College.
Although
Cloete alleged that Buchling was recorded without his knowledge or consent, Buchling is heard in the audio saying, “they don’t
have the right to record, even if they record, it is nonsense.” In the same
audio, Buchling is heard saying “I would love to play this recording to
Macsteel.”
The ex-students have asked to be named and the College is aware of their identity, but due to the fact that we are classifying their disability, this publication opted to protect their identity. Thus, we have redacted their names in the College’s response to our enquiry. Words in the audio have not been changed, but the students’ voices have been altered so that they are not identifiable by the listeners.
Listen to the audio.
