Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC, Vusi Shongwe will visit schools in the province following a bullying incident at the Elukhanyisweni High School in eMalahleni.
In a recorded viral video, a girl is seen hitting another 15-year-old female several times until a bystander intervenes by hitting back at the offender.
This took place on Friday afternoon, the department said. The school governing body has been instructed to “bring to book everyone involved in the fracas”.
“The department will monitor the developments at this school very closely.”
One of the pupils said: “This whole thing began from Facebook, on social media as cyberbullying. We are not safe, I’m not feeling safe. Whatever you comment, people take it as if you talk about them. We hope our principal will take this serious and try to solve it in a way that everyone will learn that this must come to an end.”
A concerned parent Mihlalalikazi Mapisa urged government to bring the culprits involved in the incident against Lathitha Nako in November, to book.
The case led to the suicide of a 16-year old Eastern Cape learner who was bullied. Lathitha Nako, a Grade 10 learner at Bhisho High School, swallowed pesticide and died in hospital.
Last month, parents of pupils at John Marubini Primary School at Phiphidi village outside Thohoyandou, in Limpopo, expelled a Grade 7 pupil accused of bullying.
The 17-year-old pupil was allegedly bullying fellow pupils and teachers. The learner, who apparently failed the grade, was allegedly disruptive and demanded to be promoted to Grade 8.
