- A parent broke down at the SAHRC hearings in Limpopo as she shared how her children were bullied at school.
- The commission believes her story is just a symptom of what is happening at schools across the province.
- Save the Children has found that long-serving teachers still prefer corporal punishment.
A parent was overcome with emotion at the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) hearings in Polokwane, Limpopo, on Wednesday when she shared how her three children were bullied at school.
The parent, Susan Ravuku, an actress in the popular TV soapie, Muvhango, said she, too, was bullied at school. She said she was called names, such as "Blackie".
She also believes the bullying of her children was connected to her role in the soapie.
"The bullying reached a stage where one of the children had to use half of his daily R5 pocket money and give the other half to the bully.
"I have adopted the daughter of my sister, who has not been well since the death of her husband. The daughter now cries all the time that she wants to go home because they bully her at school, and call her names, such as 'Fatty Boom Boom'," Ravuku said.
Day 02 of Hearing on Bullying Corporal Punishment and Sexual Relationships between Educators and Learners in Schools in Limpopo. pic.twitter.com/pmjdfjzvLZ
— SAHRCommission (@SAHRCommission) May 19, 2021
She said the children's performances at school had suffered.
"This is what makes me worry more."
Corporal punishment
Ravuku said she approached the school management and the bully was made to apologise.
The commission's hearing started on Tuesday, following the death of Mbilwi Secondary School pupil, Lufuno Mavhunga.
Mavhunga took her own life after a video of her being bullied by another pupil went viral on social media.
The hearing focuses on bullying, sexual relations between teachers and pupils, and corporal punishment at schools.
The commission's provincial manager, Victor Mavhidula, who is also a panel member at the hearing, said Ravuku's testimony was a symptom of what was happening at schools.
"After the death of Lufuno [Mavhunga], the information that we discovered is shocking. I'm happy that many parents are now coming out [against bullying].
"But what is worrying is that parents don't have trust in the education system. They don't know whether their children are safe at schools."
Save the Children's Mamahloli Masepa said a study had shown that most teachers employed before 1994 still preferred corporal punishment as a corrective measure.
She said many teachers now complain of more administrative work and "they vent their anger on learners."
Teacher trade unions, the Congress of South African Students, and non-governmental organisations also made presentations on the fight against bullying, corporal punishment and sexual relations between teachers and pupils.
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