Police Defend Milnerton High Principal From Livid Parents, Stun Grenades Used To Disperse Crowds

• Angry community members protested outside Milnerton High School after a bullying incident came to light
• The principal briefly addressed community members about the situation before tensions boiled over
• Police clashed with protestors and were forced to use stun grenades to disperse the crowds outside the school

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

WESTERN CAPE – Tensions are rising outside Milnerton High School after police used stun grenades to disperse angry community members.

Community members gathered outside the school to protest after a bullying incident sparked national outrage. The incident reportedly occurred on 16 October 2025, but only made headlines when a video of the incident went viral. In the video, a group of learners could be seen physically and mentally abusing a Grade 10 pupil, while others cheered.

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Protestors gathered outside the school to call for action to be taken against the learners involved in the incident. The principal briefly addressed the crowd, but tensions boiled over.

Police dispersed the crowds after the principal’s address

Police were forced to take action after tensions boiled over outside the school following an address by the principal. The principal made a brief appearance where he told the crowd that he could not comment on the matter, and that the Department of Education was the only one mandated to discuss the incident.

The response did not sit well with some community members who tried to push their way towards the principal as he walked away. Police used shields to push back the crowds, and when that didn’t work, they fired stun grenades to disperse the crowds.

The crowd returned to peaceful protests outside the premises, with many saying that they had done nothing wrong in the first place and didn't understand why the police reacted so harshly.

Shortly thereafter, a delegation of community members was allowed onto the premises, where they spoke to the principal regarding the incident. Speaking to the media afterwards, they said that the meeting was a waste of time as

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What you need to know about the incident:

• The Education Portfolio Committee called for swift and decisive action from all authorities investigating the matter.
• Gayton McKenzie wanted the learners implicated in the incident to be punished so that they would learn a lesson.
• Anele Mdoda weighed in on the viral video, sharing how she would have reacted if it happened to her child.
• A Social Worker shared her thoughts about the precautionary suspension handed down to the implicated learners.
• A mother of one of the learners accused of assaulting a Grade 10 pupil spoke out about the incident.

Mother of bullying victim speaks out about the incident

Briefly News reported that the mother of one of the victims of the Milnerton High School bullying incident spoke out.

The boy's mother expressed how traumatised he was and how he did not want to return to the school.

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Milnerton High School: Social worker weighs in on suspension of 8 pupils following bullying incident

The incident, in which fellow pupils assaulted more than one learner, has since sparked national outrage.

Source: Briefly News