To address the issue of bullying, which had gotten out of hand at Vhafamadi High School in Mashau over the last few months, the parents, school governing body (SGB) and school management team (SMT) decided to meet on Monday, 5 September, to discuss strategies to prevent this problem.
This followed a series of complaints and protests by learners concerning a certain group of bullies - six teens referred to as 'the bad company' – who have apparently been tormenting them for a long time. The learners claim that the school administration is not doing enough to address the situation and they want the school to suspend these bullies.
During Monday's meeting, parents argued that the group of bullies should not be permitted on the school premises as they disrupt the children's learning environment. Parents said that when their children reported incidents of bullying, their complaints fell on deaf ears.
Pfunzo Mufamadi, one of the victims of the "bad company", claimed that she was once intimidated by one of the group's members with a knife. "He first frightened me with an okapi during break time. Then he hit my arm with a chair. I reported the boy to the principal, who said I must report it to my class teacher, but the teacher was pushed and told not to get involved," she said.
The chairperson of the SGB, Mr Edward Mugovhani, admitted that the school was dealing with bullying and the use of alcohol and drugs at the school. Regarding the allegations that nothing was being done to combat bullying at school, he merely replied that they "attempted to rebuke them about the bullying and the usage of alcohol and drugs, such as dagga".
Sergeant Vhonani Masia from the Levubu Police Station confirmed the incident. "I can confirm that there was bullying at the school and that cases have been opened and are being investigated," he said.