“I will not rest until this matter is sorted”

Following a bullying incident at Promosa Primary School, the SGB chairperson, Patrick McCloen, says they do not condone bullying at the school.

On Monday, 23 May, Ka-layla Angel Williams, a Gr. 5 learner, was bullied after what seemed like an innocent interaction.
According to her, they were in class when she went over to a friend’s desk to discuss a performance they were practising.
“While I was talking to my friend, I saw someone take my pencil case from my desk,” she explained.
“I went over and asked her to give it back, and that’s when she hit me over the head with it,” she added.
The matter escalated after school when the same girl and two of Ka-layla’s friends ganged up on her by pulling her hair and hitting her in the face.

According to Ka-layla’s father, Ronnie Angel Williams, this wasn’t the first time the 11-year-old had said she was being bullied at school.
“Since the beginning of the year, whenever her mother gets her something new or even does her hair, she always ends up being the butt of every joke,” he said.
“We always encouraged her to tell her teachers what was happening. She responded that the teacher would separate the children from each other,” he explained.
Williams says although they knew that something was going on, they would never have expected what transpired on the 23rd.

“Matters like these should be taken extremely seriously,” her father exclaimed.
People get killed at school because of bullying and it breaks my heart that my little girl is experiencing this. I will not rest until this matter is sorted,” he lamented.
Ronnie says he is heartbroken because his daughter has been scared to face the bullies since the incident.
“I have to put her to bed and even stay with her through the night; she has been having nightmares since the incident,” he said.

Although the children were suspended for a week, Ronnie feels it wasn’t enough.
The school’s principal, Mr Foen, says the matter is being handled with the utmost seriousness.
“Although the children have been suspended, they are currently busy with exams, and we cannot prevent them from writing,” he said.

However, Mr Foen said, for now, the bullies would no longer be in the same class as Ka-layla because he understands that she may be fearful.
He added that a social worker, police, the department and child protection have been to the school since the incident to discuss the seriousness of bullying.
“We got all these people involved because this is a very serious matter. It is important that we deter learners from bullying others,’’ he said.

Two parents of the perpetrators have personally apologised to the parents, and one has even offered to pay for any medical services related to the incident.
Police spokesperson Colonel Adele Myburgh confirmed that the 11-year-old had opened a case of common assault against all the minors. However, the case is still under investigation. “In this case, the suspects are all minors and will probably appear in the children’s court. However, arrests aren’t usually made in common assault cases,” she said.