By Buziwe Nocuze
Black learners from Lentegeur Senior Secondary School in Mitchell’s Plain, Cape Town, claim they are being bullied by coloured learners and their parents want the education department to move them to other schools.
One parent, who didn’t want to be named, said that coloured learners have been bullying black children at the school for years.
“Yesterday, our kids were almost stabbed inside the school. They were not only attacked by other students but also by their gangster family members or friends,” the parent said.
Xolisa Zengethwa, a resident of Khayelitsha, said it seems as if the school isn’t taking these problems seriously.
“Black kids are being forced to give money to coloured learners. If they don’t have money, they get attacked,” Zengethwa said.
“At first, the black learners didn’t fight back, but now they are defending themselves. They’re tired of being bullied. But when they fought back, the coloured learners called their family and friends for backup and threatened to stab them if they didn’t leave school.”
A learner, who didn’t want to be named for fear of reprisals, said: “I came to this school because I couldn’t get into another school, but now I might have to drop out. We can’t focus on our studies while being bullied and threatened.”
Some black learners said they were told that Mitchell’s Plain is only for coloured people.
Western Cape education department spokesperson Unathi Booi said the school is aware of the problem.
“The school says the ongoing conflict is gang-related rather than race-related, but they will investigate the claims.
“The school has a good relationship with the local police, who have been helping with searches and are present at the school during dismissal to handle any incidents.”
Booi said the education department is providing counselling support to the school and working with it to address the problems.
Scrolla.Africa reported last month on an incident at Pinelands High School in Cape Town where Grade 8 coloured learners held a mock auction to “buy” black pupils as “slaves” with Bitcoin.
Pictured above: Black learners attending Lentegeur Senior Secondary School in Mitchell’s Plain have allegedly been abused by coloured learners.
Source: Supplied
