The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi, said disciplinary action will be taken against three layers of the Eletsa Secondary School in Letlhabile, Brits, after they were captured on camera bullying a fellow learner.
Motsumi revealed this following her urgent meeting with the management of the school, the School Governing Body (SGB), and the circuit management after the incident went viral on social media this week.
“Disciplinary action is now being taken against the three learners involved in the bullying, with a disciplinary meeting scheduled for next week, where their parents will be present.
The fourth perpetrator is currently in police custody for an unrelated matter,” said Motsumi.
It has since emerged that the incident happened in October 2024, but the incident was not reported to the school management, until the video surfaced on social media.
The video shows a Grade 9 boy learner assaulted by four other boy learners at the school premises.
During the meeting, it was revealed that the learners involved were known to be friends and had previously caused disruptions at the school.
Motsumi also met with the victim and his mother, who informed her that her son did not report the incident at the time, as he claimed the perpetrators had apologized, and he had forgiven them.
“However, the video’s emergence has reopened wounds, leaving the victim visibly distressed.
To ensure his safety and well-being, he underwent psychosocial support,” explained the MEC.
Furthermore, Motsumi called for a safe schooling environment, and vowed to strengthen anti-bullying interventions.
“Bullying in our schools will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
It is deeply concerning that this matter was not reported immediately, as it could have been addressed much earlier.
We are taking decisive action to ensure such incidents do not reoccur by reinforcing discipline management in schools and empowering learners and teachers with the necessary skills to identify and handle bullying effectively.
We have decided with the school management and SGB together with the mother of the bullied learner to move him to another school during the first quarter recess to safeguard his mental safety,” remarked Motsumi.
The department has resolved to dispatch school safety coordinators to work closely with Eletsa Secondary and two neighbouring schools to address bullying and implement preventative measures.
In addition, teachers at the school will undergo training in discipline management to “foster a safer and more conducive learning environment.”
