Dozens of protesters, including concerned parents, community leaders and members of political parties, including the EFF and ANC, gathered for a picket outside Milnerton High School on Wednesday afternoon, after a video showing a Grade 10 learner being bullied and assaulted by a group of older learners went viral.
The brutal video shows the learner being beaten with hockey sticks and belts, and it has caused widespread outrage.
The picket was mostly peaceful except for a brief scuffle with the police, which resulted in stun grenades being fired off. There was a significant police presence throughout the afternoon.
The action came after the Principal, Gert JP van Tonder, briefly came out to talk to the crowd. But he didn’t say much, except that he is not allowed to address them. This angered a few protestors, who pushed back against the police barricades. This resulted in the officers setting off the stun grenades and pushing the crowd away from the gates.
Later, it was confirmed that some community and political party leaders would go inside the school to meet the Principal. The outcome of that meeting is not immediately clear.
Van Tonder, in a letter to parents on Tuesday, said the school takes the matter extremely seriously and that bullying, intimidation, and any form of assault will not be tolerated.
Despite the eight learners who were involved being subjected to a precautionary suspension, protestors are calling for much harsher punishment, including jail time.
A parent, who wished to remain anonymous, also said many of them are upset that they only became aware of the incident through social media.
She says the lack of transparency has damaged trust between the school and parents.
“How can they allow such a thing at school, and where were the teachers, because they are using a changing room to do all this. So I don’t understand, it went viral and nothing was done, I don’t understand how they handled this situation.”
A small number of those who gathered did so in support of the learner’s mom, who is their colleague. One of the mom’s colleagues said that the victim is also recovering from cancer, and this has left the family traumatised.
The WCED confirmed that the suspended learners will now face formal disciplinary hearings in accordance with the relevant disciplinary procedures. In addition, counselling and psychosocial support are being provided and will continue to be available to those affected.
