A cellphone recording of two Andrew Rabie High School pupils in a physical brawl has gained momentum on social media, with an online petition started to try to get one of the girls expelled.
As the number of signatures on the petition grows, both mothers have defended their daughters’ actions, with one of the moms claiming her daughter is a victim of ongoing bullying.
In the video, seen by Weekend Post, two teenage girls at the Perridgevale school can be heard arguing. Swear words are are exchanged before a boy tries to intervene, pleading with the girls to stop fighting.
The heated argument turns physical with one of the girls pushed to the ground, and the other seemingly hitting and punching her while pupils scream in the background.
The names of both pupils are being withheld as they are minors.
Making matters worse, another pupil at the school (not involved in the latest incident) has an existing restraining order against the girl seen allegedly delivering the punches.
The mother of the girl with the restraining order is the one who started an online petition this week to have who they have referred to as a “bully”, expelled from the school.
Within three days, the petition had garnered 1,166 signatures.
The mother behind the petition said they had opted to approach the courts for a protection order after her 15-year-old daughter was allegedly punched by the same girl.
Her problems started in June 2021 when her daughter was allegedly threatened and called names.
She said she had been horrified when she read her daughter’s statement, in which she mentioned she was contemplating taking her own life.
“She became reserved, and would spend most of her time in her room. I feared it would affect her grades as she wants to become a doctor.”
Meanwhile, the mother of the 15-year-old girl allegedly being punched in the video, said she had felt sick when she saw the recording of Tuesday’s incident.
She said her daughter had come home with bruises on her chest, elbow and neck, and bumps on her head. She also complained of a stiff arm.
She said she had first noticed a change in her daughter's behaviour about two months ago.
“When I picked her up from school I noticed that she looked sad and depressed. I then spotted a routine where she would be sad and then two days later she would appear to be fine again.”
The girl eventually told her mom that her friend was trying to control her life and dictated who she could be friends with.
On Sunday, she was allegedly instructed by the girl to remove her WhatsApp status. Her refusal to do so emanated in the fight at school.
Leading up to the brawl, the girl was allegedly threatened with violence and told that she is going to be “f***ed up”.
“On Tuesday morning we were happy. I dropped her off at school and I told her I loved her. Moments after getting home I got a call from her dad saying she was involved in a fight.
“I was terrified for her safety.”
However, the mother of the alleged aggressor disputed that her daughter was a bully and insisted that she had merely been trying to defend herself after receiving the first blow.
She said the viral video did not depict the full fight and that there were “two sides to the story”.
School governing body chair Andre Nell said he could not comment on the matter as the school was still busy with an internal investigation.
“The moment the investigation is finished, we will do a declaration so that everyone knows what is going on. There are certain procedures that have to be followed and we are following them,” Nell said.
Meetings were held with all respective parties on Wednesday and Thursday, with a disciplinary hearing set to follow.
Provincial education department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said they were aware of the matter.
“An investigation is under way and after the disciplinary process we will take the recommended steps,” he said.
Mtima said both children would be given an opportunity to state their cases. An official from the department's district office would then give a recommendation.
Equal Education Law Centre attorney Pila-sande Mkuzo said generally being bullied led to emotional and psychological trauma.
There have been numerous cases of alleged bullying among pupils reported by the media of late.
“In the most extreme cases Lufuno Mavhunga and Lathitha Nako Mkuzo took their own lives in May and November last year.
“The SGB and the principal of the school must always act to protect the fundamental rights of all learners within the school community, regardless of whether they are the accused or the victim,” Mkuzo said.
“We are all equal in the eyes of the law and as such fairness should always prevail.
“It is important that learners know that all forms of bullying are totally unacceptable within the school and that the schooling community has clear guidance on how to approach incidents of bullying.”
HeraldLIVE
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