Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has condemned the assault of a Grade 10 learner at Milnerton High School after footage of the incident circulated on social media, prompting national outrage.
The video, filmed on 16 October, shows the learner being attacked by a group of boys, some allegedly members of the school’s first-team rugby squad. Committee chairperson Joy Maimela said the act “borders on assault” and called for “urgent and decisive action” from education authorities.
Matters went further yesterday when angry parents, who had gathered outside the school, were dispersed by police firing tear gas.
The incident at Milnerton High made international headlines, with the BBC reporting Amnesty International South Africa as having said the video was “deeply disturbing”, and that “timely disciplinary action” was called for.
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) confirmed that Milnerton High had launched an internal investigation and suspended eight learners pending disciplinary hearings. The department said counselling and psychosocial support were being provided and urged the public to stop sharing the footage, warning that it further harmed the victim and breached the rights of minors.
Maimela demanded that the WCED report back to Parliament, reminding schools that they were legally required to implement anti-bullying policies. “Schools must be safe spaces for learning, not fear and humiliation,” she said.
The department added that efforts were under way to ensure matric examinations proceeded without disruption while the investigation continued.
In a further development yesterday, Makhi Feni, the chairperson of another parliamentary committee, the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries, issued a statement describing the incident as having been “racially motivated”.
The statement, published on Parliament’s official website, said: “Mr Makhi Feni said what the coloured learners were doing is a daily reality for the black South African children in many of the white schools, as has happened in Pinelands High, Pretoria Girls, Fish Hoek High etc.
“‘What transpires at a school community is what learners learn from home and being fed by their parents. Black South Africans have every right to be at these white and coloured schools. And they are going to continue attending these schools.”
“‘This is the attitude and mentality these learners take to universities which are the worst transformed spaces and where the alienation culture is being masked as “excellence”. As the committee we condemn the disgusting incident and should not be allowed or tolerated in our country.”
“Eight coloured learners, and some playing representative rugby for the country and Western Province violently and racially abused a black boy using golf bats and pangas. The eight were reportedly suspended this morning, a decision that the school governing body hesitantly supported.
“Mr Feni said it was disturbing that the incident happened on the school premises. ‘Also bad is this attack being mischaracterised as a bullying incident. It is these small activities that start civil wars. Children with gangster mentality and are protecting their territory.’”
[image: https://milnertonhighschool.co.za/]