THE KwaZulu Natal provincial department of education has suspended two learners at Mathole High School in Mahlabathini, south-west of Nongoma, over a bullying incident that went viral on social media.
In the video, the two suspended learners were captured assaulting a hapless learner, dragging her on the ground and kicking her.
After the video surfaced on Twitter, many concerned South Africans called for the provincial education MEC Kwazi Mshengu to take urgent action against the two learners.
“The School Governing Body has been directed to finalize the disciplinary process within 7 working days as stipulated in the South African Schools Act,” said Mshengu.
The provincial education department said the victim and others who were involved are receiving professional therapy from the Department of Social Development.
The department also called South Africans not to further distribute the video on social platforms to protect the dignity of the victim.
“Further circulation will only serve to inflict more harm to the dignity of the victim for the rest of her life,” added the Department.
The victim is being assisted by the Legal Services Unit to open a case with the police.
The department said the Legal Services Unit will contact social media platforms’ administrators with the aim to remove and block the circulation of the video.
(COMPILED BY INSIDE EDUCATION STAFF)
