Police had to be called to an elite Johannesburg girls school on Friday afternoon after a fracas that involved the high-profile parents of two 11-year-olds who are alleged to have bullied a classmate so severely she wanted to end her life.
The clash between a cast member of a popular reality TV show and the wife of a telecom executive, which took place at the prestigious R155,000-a-year Roedean School, involved scenes of loud swearing, shoving and threats of further violence.
The two alleged bullies are the daughters of the TV personality and a senior government official. They cannot be named to protect the identities of their daughters.
The two girls are alleged to have bullied the daughter of the telecom executive by making a clay caricature of her in an after-school art class which they stabbed and said resembled the “person they hate the most”.
They are also alleged to have insulted the girl, who was new to the school, calling her “rat poo” and “hood rat” and encouraging their schoolmates to “cancel” her.
The child was so distressed that she allegedly told a school counsellor she wanted to end her life so her bullies would know what she was going through.
Friday’s fight followed the involvement of Gauteng education department head Edward Mosuwe and the department’s director for independent schools, Chriselda Mosibudi-Makhubela.
The two are alleged to have strong-armed the school to readmit the reality star’s child after she was suspended in what the alleged victim’s parents have described as an abuse of power.
In a statement on Friday, Roedean said it regretted the fight that took place in full view of pupils, staff members and other parents.
“We have moved swiftly to restore calm at the school and ensure that children can attend classes without apprehension,” said Roedean board chair Audrey Mothupi. “We do not underestimate the impact of such an incident on our learners and parents and cannot compromise school safety.”
Friday’s fight was the latest battle in a war between the parents that has been brewing since last month over alleged incidents of bullying that led to three girls being found guilty of gross misconduct.
The senior government official is appealing the finding and sanction, which included a final written warning valid for a year, counselling, community service and suspension from face-to-face classes until after the first term of 2023, during which time they will be taught online only.
The child was so distressed she allegedly told a school counsellor she wanted to end her life so her bullies would know what she was going through.
The official’s daughter was found guilty of three out of four charges while the TV personality’s daughter, considered the ringleader of the group, was found guilty of five out of six charges including threatening behaviour, playing demeaning games, using “excessive force” when playing a slapping game, victimisation and unsafe “group-related activity”.
Approached for comment, the TV personality accused the Sunday Times of harassment and cut the call.
The official criticised the school’s handling of his daughter’s case.
“It was a matter that could have been handled so quickly and easily by calling everyone in and saying: ‘What’s going on?’, ‘How do we get these girls to speak again?’ and ‘Why are they fighting?’,” he said through his lawyer Alexandra Budin.
“The way they investigated by calling the whole grade for witness statements made this something more than it needed to be.”
The official said the school charged his daughter despite evidence that she was not part of the clay figurine incident and did not participate in an instant messaging group in which the girl was discussed and attacked by several children.
He said he became alarmed after learning that statements were taken from his daughter and several other grade 5 pupils by employees of a risk management company that the school hired, without the parents’ knowledge or consent.
The man, who said his own child was beginning to display signs of stress over the situation, said he did not regard what happened as bullying and had not been given sufficient proof of it being so.
The Sunday Times understands that the TV personality and her asset manager husband told the school that the alleged victim was already a troubled child who had sent a video to their daughter in which she spoke of ending her life.
They also claimed the alleged victim’s mother had threatened their daughter and other children.
The alleged victim’s parents deny this.
Tensions ran high on Friday after the alleged victim’s mother rushed to school after learning that the TV personality and her daughter were included on a field trip to the theatre, leaving her daughter traumatised and in tears.
Another parent said the alleged victim’s mother began taking videos and photographs, which enraged the TV personality.
A video of the fracas which the Sunday Times has seen shows the TV personality screaming and swearing and pushing a board member aside in an attempt to attack the alleged victim’s mother.
“You f***ing stop taking pictures of me, I will deal with you here right now! She took pictures of my child!” the woman screamed.
“You’ve caused enough f***ing drama, Polish bit*h!”
Meanwhile, school board member Terry Morris can be heard saying: “I’m trying to protect children.”
Gauteng education spokesperson Steve Mabona confirms that officials were sent to investigate the allegations.
“Preliminary investigations revealed the matter was handled in an unprocedural manner from the onset. Principles of natural justice were not observed; therefore the best interests of all learners involved were not taken into consideration. The school also neglected to use its internal disciplinary structures, but hired a law firm to conduct hearings,” said Mabona.
“The month-long suspension of an 11-year-old who was accused of rejecting another learner and acting up by not playing with her and keeping away from her, which made her feel she was being bullied, is not equal to the alleged misdemeanour.
"This grossly violated the learner’s right to education ... The school was subsequently instructed to immediately reinstate the suspended learner.
“As the department, we have initiated a mediation process between the parents so that they find peace, for the sake of all involved learners.”
The Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa did not respond to requests for comment.
Roedean headmistress Gillian Boltman did not respond to questions over how she handled the matter.
Last month, the Mail & Guardian newspaper reported on several other bullying incidents involving the same three girls, which had been brought to the headmistress’s attention and escalated to the board.
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