By Anita Dangazele
- A schoolgirl was attacked by five boys on an Eastern Cape school bus after reporting them for damaging the school fence.
- The victim’s mother opened an assault case at the police station while the transport operator was suspended for failing to protect learners.
A video of a schoolgirl being slapped and bullied by a group of boys from David Mama High School in Mdantsane has forced the Eastern Cape government to respond.
The video shows the 18-year-old being followed off a school bus, slapped in the face, and chased by at least five boys while others laugh. In a second clip, she is seen crying as two boys slap her again while their classmates cheer them on.
The attack happened last Thursday in Chicken Farm, near Mdantsane. On Friday, the school called in the parents of the girl and the boys involved.
A member of the school governing body said the group of boys had been in trouble before, including for being caught with alcohol at school. The attack appeared to be revenge because the girl had reported them for damaging a school fence.
“The girl is a good girl,” the SGB member said. “From the time she reported the boys to the principal, she became a target. Her dignity has been dragged to the ground.”
The school told the girl to stay home for a while. Her mother, who came to the school on Friday, was heartbroken. Only one of the boys’ parents showed up.
On Sunday, the girl’s mother said she had opened an assault case at the Scenery Park police station. “I want them to be arrested,” she said. “She was in tears when she got home. After I saw the video, I posted it to the Biko Park WhatsApp group and went to all the boys’ homes. They apologised, but I still went to the police.”
Police visited the boys’ homes on Saturday but could not find them.
The girl had a headache after the attack, and the principal took her to a doctor. “She says she is fine, but I don’t know,” her mother said.
On Saturday, Social Development MEC Bukiwe Fanta visited the family. She promised counselling support and announced new anti-bullying workshops for schools.
“Bullying is not just a school issue; it is a societal problem that requires our collective action,” Fanta said.
She said scholar transport drivers must help keep pupils safe and step in when bullying happens. She called on the community to support the girl and other victims.
Eastern Cape Education Department spokesperson Vuyiseka Mboxeka said officials would visit the school on Monday.
“The department does not tolerate any form of bullying at its schools,” she said.
Mdantsane’s anti-crime forum visited the school on Friday, and a community march to the school is planned for Monday.
The scholar transport operator has been suspended by the Department of Transport in the Eastern Cape for allegedly doing nothing as the bullying happened in the bus he used to ferry learners.
A voice note from the local taxi association said the bus driver who saw the attack felt powerless to stop it.
“He said he could not hit the children in fear of their parents, but he did not like it.”
Anele Gcilitshana, from the anti-bullying group Bumbingomso, said both the victim and the bullies may need counselling.
“Even the bullies can experience a drop in academic performance or drop out of school because of the consequences of their actions,” she said.
She added that some bullies act out because of problems at home.
“Sometimes, bullies themselves need help.”
Pictured above: A screenshot of the video of the girl being assaulted and humiliated.
Image source: Facebook
