Cape Town - The mother of a 14-year-old grade 8 learner at Cambridge High School has expressed outrage following a viral video of her son being bullied last week at Cambridge High School in East London.
The video depicts a pupil wearing a white school shirt assaulting the learner while choking him with another hand. All while a group of other students stood around them, recording and laughing.
The mother, Thembisa Snekhaya Rangile, said she would not rest until her son got justice. She says that her son is still “traumatised and depressed” from the incident and has reportedly suffered injuries to his oesophagus.
“I want to do something (about the incident) now while my son is still alive,” she said, as it is common for victims of bullying to commit suicide.
The Eastern Cape Department of Education has also condemned the bullying incident.
“The Department strongly condemns this incident and has instructed the district to meet Cambridge High's School Management team and the School Governing Body to urgently investigate the matter and bring to book everyone involved in the altercation.
“This morning, the department will also deploy psychosocial teams to provide counselling to the victim and all learners adversely affected by this terrible incident,” the department said.
Cambridge High School, in a statement, said it is aware of the video and is investigating the incident.
“The school is aware of an incident which happened off the school’s premises this week but involving two of our learners. The school views such incidents in a very serious light but is not in a position to comment as the matter is still under investigation,” the school said.
IOL