VhaVenda King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana has condemned the bullying of learners by others. He was reacting to the incident at Mbilwi Secondary in Sibasa, outside Thohoyandou in Limpopo, where a learner committed suicide after she was assaulted by another learner.
VhaVenda Kingdom Spokesperson, Chief Nthumeni Masia says the incident is one of the greatest disappointments they have experienced within a school environment.
“I would like to take this time on behalf of the Majesty of the VhaVenda, Toni Mphephu Ramabulana, and on behalf of the council to condemn the acts of violence and bullying happening in our schools. We are particularly disturbed by the incident that took place and Mbilwi Secondary School in which there was some kind of bullying between learners.”
Limpopo Education to investigate circumstances leading up to the suicide
LegalWise South Africa says investigations must be conducted by the Mbilwi Secondary School to determine the action to be taken against learners involved in bullying.
The Limpopo Department of Education has launched its own investigation into circumstances.
The incident was captured on video and circulated online.
Head of Research at LegalWise SA, George Pelser says, “So, from a legal point of view, the schools are regulated by their code of conduct and by what the SA Schools Act says as well. There are certain procedures that the school must follow as well. The school must investigate this matter, get all the evidence in place, seeing what happened and deal with it in terms of the code of conduct, which will lead to a disciplinary hearing against the student being accused of bullying and which may lead to the suspension of the child from the school, which is in line with the school’s code of conduct.”
SABC News Reporter Pimani Baloyi gives more insight into the bullying incident:
