Panicked voice notes sent by grade 8 boys trying to avoid “whacks” by matrics in the Grey High boarding school in Mill Park have emerged in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations and assault charges.
While the prominent Port Elizabeth school has dealt with the assault accusations through an internal disciplinary hearing — in which seven matrics pleaded guilty — the matter is still far from over, with police conducting separate investigations.
A flurry of communication — seen by The Herald — between Grey, the department of education and the Human Rights Commission detail three separate practices, which are all under scrutiny.
These involve “whacks” — boys being hit by their seniors with cricket bats, hockey sticks or PVC piping — knuckle push-ups, push-ups on gravel and a disturbing practice known as “white glove”.
The alleged “white glove” practice — which involves boys being given a white glove when caught masturbating and, in some cases, allegedly being told to masturbate so that they could be caught — is being investigated by the police’s Family Violence, Sexual Offences and Child Protection Unit.
On Wednesday, police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg confirmed that criminal complaints had been laid at the Mount Road police station.
“Mount Road detectives are investigating an assault common case,” she said.
“Once the investigation is finalised, the docket will be sent to the senior public prosecutor for a decision.
“Relating to the ‘white glove’ [practice], this was reported to the Family Violence, Sexual Offences and Child Protection Unit by the school and is under investigation.”
The seven matrics found guilty of dishing out “whacks” were all given a final written warning at a disciplinary hearing early in October as well as two Saturday night detentions on in-weekends.
It had been alleged that whacks would be handed out for misconduct or when younger pupils did not provide snacks, paid for out of their own pockets, to matrics.
WhatsApp voice notes, in The Herald’s possession, confirm claims that youngsters were forced to buy snacks to avoid the wrath of senior pupils.
In one WhatsApp voice note, a grade 8 is heard saying: “Quick, otherwise we are going to get a whack. I’m serious now bra, I’m not lying.
“Bring it to Black Watch East [a dormitory]. Please guys. Guys, please, please.”
In another, a youngster says: “Gents, we need to put money together to go buy [matric pupil’s surname] a Coke and Ghost Pops. Please gents help, otherwise we are all like in k*k and we are all going to be called in, so like please, help.”
The third pupil said: “Guys, I need help please.
“Must I take the whack or must I just leave his stuff because he asked me again now. Please, bye.”
The disciplinary hearing was conducted by Grey rector Christian Erasmus, student affairs deputy Anton Scholtz and Meriway hostel head Gerhard Hills.
The record of the seven matric boys’ disciplinary hearing reads: “Mr Hills told the learners that he and the deputy housemaster, Mr Siyabonga Denga, interviewed all the grade 8 boarders individually and asked them for their account of what has happened.
“They all said that they had been given whacks as punishment for various misdemeanours.
“The school cannot condone this kind of behaviour and sees it as a serious offence of which they were warned many times that it was against the rules of the school and boarding house.”
Two of the boys had, in an earlier disciplinary hearing, been found guilty of conducting knuckle push-ups.
In a letter to the Eastern Cape office of the Human Rights Commission, Erasmus wrote: “As a result of the misconduct of the learners, I have launched a wider investigation into other practices that could potentially result in physical assault, intimidation, bullying or similar misconduct as defined in your letter, which conduct the school and the school governing body finds repugnant to the ethos of the school.
“Any learner found guilty of breaching any other learner’s fundamental rights will be subject to a disciplinary inquiry.
“The school is devising practical steps to eradicate this kind of behaviour.
“These interventions need to be forward-looking, educational in nature, solution-driven and not simply punitive in nature.
“In the interim, and in addition to any punishment that may be meted out, the learners shall be tasked to become an agent of change for the remainder of their scholastic career at Grey and support and assist all anti-bullying programmes that the school implements in the boarding establishment.”
Approached for comment, Erasmus said he could not speak on the matter as principals were barred from speaking to the media by the education department.
Education department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima confirmed disciplinary hearings had been held and action taken.
“It was reported to the department that senior boys in the hostel had been giving whacks to junior boys.
“The district investigated the matter and kept the head office updated throughout.”
Mtima said a disciplinary hearing had been held on October 3 and seven boys had been punished for their actions.
“The boys were remorseful and the focus of the hearings and punishments has been not only punitive, but to look at educational ways of preventing this from recurring.
“Along with the ongoing punishments received, all the boys agreed to be agents of change and have already attended workshops aimed at eradicating this type of behaviour.”
Eastern Cape Human Rights Commission provincial manager Abongile Sipondo confirmed that the commission had investigated the matter but did not provide further information on the commission’s role or whether it would be monitoring the situation.
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