ALBERTON- Five matric pupils from Alberton High School followed fellow pupil, Nonnie* (18), to a taxi rank and assaulted her, on Wednesday, October 28.
Nonnie and two friends were sitting in a vehicle when a silver BMW pulled up in front of them and parked in such a way that they could not move. Two of her fellow pupils yanked open the doors and jumped on top of Nonnie in the car.
They attacked Nonnie, hitting her, tearing her blazer and shirt, and sitting on her face. “We were trying to help but we were powerless, they are very strong, big girls and she is so small. When the one sat on her head she couldn’t breathe,” says Wanda* who was in the car when it happened.
Kelly*, a fellow pupil, says the three girls already roughed Nonnie up at school that morning and told her they would get her later. Knowing this, Nonnie organised a lift to the taxi rank instead of walking. She thought she would be safe.
A friend of Nonnie, Noelle*, drove past the taxi rank and saw the car that Nonnie was in. She then saw the pupils who had been harassing Nonnie approach the car and open the doors. “I shouted for my mom to turn around but she couldn’t. We drove around until we could find a suitable place and when we arrived at the taxi rank the girls left Nonnie and ran back to the car they came in. I knew they were going to hurt her badly and that we had to act fast.”
Noelle’s mom, Ella*, fetched Nonnie’s mom and took them the police station to lay charges and get a protection order. “When we arrived at Alberton High School, I was told that the school couldn’t do anything as it happened outside the school grounds but that they supported us,” said Noelle’s mother.
Kelly says that these girls have been harassing and bullying the other kids since Grade Eight. “They even beat up the boys and threaten some of the teachers. We are all scared of them.”
The RECORD spoke to an Alberton teacher after the incident. “Our hands, as teachers and schools, are very much tied when it comes to bullying, violence and even the use of drugs on our school grounds. We are disempowered and often victims ourselves. I was attacked by a pupil some time ago and we couldn’t get the pupil expelled.
Read: Stop bullying in our schools
“The Department of Education makes it almost impossible for schools to expel children. We send perpetrators to a disciplinary committee and two days later they are back at school. We, and many children, face abuse on a regular basis and we often don’t get the support from the department that we need. Pupils who are assaulted have to open a case with the police and stand up for themselves.”
On Friday, October 30, Nonnie wrote mathematics and she says it went really well. She will be seeing a psychologist to help her work through the trauma of the incident but she is an example to all young people. “Don’t lie down and let them walk over you. The restraining orders have been served and the main culprits have signed them,” says a triumphant Nonnie with a smile.
The Alberton Station Commander, Colonel Phuti Sekoma, confirmed that a case of assault has been opened and that the police will investigate the charge with the help of a probation officer.
The Department of Education was also contacted for comment and, by Friday afternoon, Thobeka Magcai, (Deputy Director: Media Specialist, Directorate: External Communications), confirmed that they are investigating the matter and that they will forward a comment soon. They issued their statement on Monday 2 November, strongly condeming the assault.
The RECORD will keep you updated as to the outcome of the case.
*Not their real names.
Watch the interview with Nonnie, Kelly, Noelle, Wanda and Ella at https://www.citizen.co.za/alberton-record/?post_type=video_of_the_day&p=86397 on the Alberton RECORD website.
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