Threat on playground

The safety of learners came under the spotlight subsequent to a Grade 12 learner of a local secondary school being charged with theft and common assault after allegedly attacking a fellow learner on the school premises and reportedly threatening learners who apparently witnessed the incident.
In the meantime the parents of the alleged victim, a Grade 8 learner, as well as the witnesses intend seeking help from the highest office as the Department of Education is seemingly not making any progress in assisting parents and the learners who dread going to school for fear of possible victimisation.
The Grade 8 learner’s mother spoke to Polokwane Observer on condition of anonymity and said the incident happened in a passage at the school on 13 May.
The alleged victim, in the presence of his mother, told the publication that the Grade 12 learner approached him and asked to show him his cell phone.
“Seconds after he indicated to me that it was a nice phone, he punched me on the nose with the palm of his hand, causing me to hit the back of my head against the brick wall. My nose started bleeding immediately and my phone was gone,” he said, adding that four other learners witnessed the ordeal and called out to prefects for help.
The prefects stopped the bleeding and helped the Grade 8 learner to the principal’s office where the security cameras were immediately checked to try and establish what had happened.
“I was phoned to collect my child from school and advised to open a case with the Police. The school and members of the School Governing Body (SGB) went out of their way to assist, but the challenges started when officers at the Polokwane Police Station were not eager to help us,” the mother indicated. It was learnt that the Grade 12 learner was expelled for seven days after the incident.
She said that charge office officials were not willing to help her in opening a case while her son’s condition was deteriorating.
“At this point the bruise at the back of his head already formed a sack filled with blood. I decided to take him to the doctor first who confirmed that he had sustained concussion. We went back to the Police station later on the same day and eventually managed to open a case of theft and common assault at 21:30,” the mother informed.
Last Tuesday the mother, members of the SGB and the parents of three of the four witnesses visited the Department of Education to seek help as their children fear to go to school after they were allegedly threatened, should they tell what happened during the attack.
“After waiting for longer than an hour, we were given a paper and asked to write our names and contact numbers and wait for someone of the department to call us. To this day we have not heard anything from the department” the mother of one of the witnesses said.
She said that the four boys were afraid to go to school as they were being threatened.
“My son told me that the suspect had told them: ‘If you speak, I will sort you out.’ My son is terrified and if the department does not come to the party soon, we will have no choice but to seek help from higher authorities,” the mother said, adding that the safety of the learners should be addressed soonest.
Allegations were also made by the victim’s mother that she had been followed home by people in either a taxi or a Volkswagen Polo on several occasions.
“My child missed out on extra classes for the exams because he was too afraid to walk to school. We have now appointed an attorney in the hope that the matter will be processed quicker,” she said.
Mienkie Ramakgoakgoa of the Provincial Police Communications Centre confirmed that a case of theft and common assault had been registered and that the suspect was arrested soon after the incident. He briefly appeared in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on 16 May, was released and warned to appear before court again on 5 July.
Spokesperson for the Department of Education, Sam Makondo on Tuesday informed Polo­kwane Observer that he was not aware of the incident or the challenges the parents experienced with the matter. He indicated that the situation would be investigated and further reiterated that assault is a criminal offence in South Africa and anyone who commits such a crime must be prepared to incur the wrath of the law.
“So if it (assault) does not have a room in the country, it certainly won’t have a room in our schools,” he stated.

Story: RC Myburgh
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