Limpopo Matric Pupil to Appear in Court for Alleged Murder of Classmate in Suspected Bullying Incident

• A Grade 12 student is set to appear in court for the murder of another student during a school camp at Mpirabirwa Secondary School near Mokopane
• The accused, a 22-year-old, allegedly struck the victim's head with a wooden stick, resulting in the victim's death in a suspected bullying incident
• The government has decided to address bullying by introducing new laws that could see bullies being jailed

MOKOPANE - A Grade 12 pupil from Mpirabirwa Secondary School is expected to appear at the Mokerong Magistrate’s Court near Mokopane for the murder of a fellow pupil.

The 22-year-old is accused of murdering 20-year-old William Ngoepe during a Matric camp on the school grounds.

Matric learner believed to be a bullying victim

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According to SABC News, the pupils were engaged in a fight on Thursday, 17 August. The alleged murderer reportedly hit Ngoepe's head with a wooden stick and died the following morning.

The fight happened after a teacher stepped away to fetch learning materials because the pupils were going to write an exam. When the teacher returned, he found Ngoepe bleeding on the ground.

The teacher took the learner to a clinic and was later transferred to a hospital. He was not admitted and later sent home.

It is suspected that the altercation between the learners may have been a bullying incident.

Bullies can be sent to jail

The South African laws have been changed to accommodate children who have been bullied. Children as young as 10 years old can be served with a protection order and face potential imprisonment under certain circumstances.

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Grade 12 learner allegedly murdered by fellow student at matric camp in Limpopo

According to eNCA, children can apply for a protection order without the consent of their parents.

Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the Department of Education does not think the act will solve all the problems but will go a long way. He added that South Africa has a huge bullying problem that needs to be addressed.

Mzansi shares their thoughts on the alleged bullying case

Sam Motšhabe Mohlala said:

"Two precious lives taken away, and his life will never be the same. Prayers to the victim's family."

Gabriel Mandisi Miya said:

"The comments here. This is the exact reason why that 22-year-old killed his fellow, he probably made a joke about him being too old for high school...who are y'all to judge and question."

Norman Rakumako

"I was 23 when I was doing my matric. The question is who was bullying whom, and we must know that not everyone tolerates bullying. May his soul rest in peace."

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C'pho Maleka said:

"So far, we don't know who bullied who. The 22-year-old learner might have been bullied about his age, or he might have been the bully."

KZN matriculants flee after bully threatens to stab them

Briefly News previously reported that Two Grade 12 girls from a high school in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal, narrowly escaped an armed attack from their bully.

After several weeks of bullying, the girls were forced to turn to private security company Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) for help on Monday, 14 August.

Source: Briefly News