A disturbing video showing a female learner from David Mama Senior Secondary School being violently attacked by fellow learners has triggered widespread condemnation and prompted the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDOE) to launch an urgent investigation.

The video, which began circulating on social media platforms on August 1, shows the girl being slapped, punched, and pushed by a group of learners before and after getting off a school transport vehicle.

Other learners are seen laughing and recording the incident without intervening.

The Eastern Cape Department of Education confirmed on Saturday that it will send a team of officials to the school in the Buffalo City Education District on Monday, August 4, to investigate the incident.

What’s the name of the school?
Guys help please 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/1iKLjLxKgw

— DENIA MOTORS (@DENIAMOTORS) August 1, 2025

“The video is unacceptable and unimaginable,” the department said.

“This unbecoming behavior is projecting a deep societal problem that needs every parent to take responsibility in raising his/her kids.”

The department emphasised its commitment to providing support to the victim and ensuring accountability.

“The department will make sure that the affected learner receives the needed psychosocial support,” it said, adding that it “does not tolerate any form of bullying in all its schools.”

However, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the Eastern Cape have condemned the department’s response as insufficient and have demanded the immediate expulsion of the learner identified in the footage as the main aggressor.

“As the EFF, we reject this feeble, bureaucratic response in the strongest possible terms,” the party said.

“There is no investigation necessary when a video clearly captures a young girl being physically assaulted in full view of other learners.”

The EFF further warned that allowing an investigation to proceed might offer an opportunity for the perpetrator to justify or minimise the attack.

“This approach is not justice; it is complicity,” it stated.

The party also criticised the presence of an adult, believed to be the school bus driver, who appeared to witness the attack without intervening.

“That silence, that inaction, is not neutral; it is a betrayal,” said the EFF.

“It raises serious questions about the character and responsibility of the adult involved.”

The EFF announced that its representatives will visit the school on August 4 to demand accountability.

“The learner responsible must be expelled immediately. The victim deserves justice. The school must be held accountable. And the Department must act with the urgency and seriousness this matter demands,” it said.

Please if you are near the place kindly check the child and the mother hle 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/G10cWRjvJ9

— DENIA MOTORS (@DENIAMOTORS) August 2, 2025

The incident has reignited debate about the prevalence of bullying and gender-based violence in South African schools and the broader society.

“Our society is already overwhelmed by violent men who assault, abuse, and kill young women and girls and almost always get away with it,” said the EFF.

Both the department and political leaders are under pressure to act decisively in the coming days. Meanwhile, public anger continues to grow online as the video circulates widely.

The ECDOE has urged all learners to refrain from violence, warning that such behavior “directly destroys their future.”

IOL News

Source link