Milnerton High School: Social Worker Weighs In on Suspension of 8 Pupils Following Bullying Incident
- Milnerton High School has taken action against eight learners accused of assaulting a Grade 10 pupil
- The pupil was one of several students who were allegedly targeted by a group of learners at the school
- A social worker said that there needed to be counselling for both the victims and the perpetrators
- Fathima Khan, Director of Khan’s Intellectual Services, spoke exclusively to Briefly News about the action taken against the learners involved
Source: Twitter
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 - Milnerton High School has placed eight learners on precautionary suspension following a bullying incident at the school.
The incident, which sparked national outrage, reportedly occurred on 16 October 2025, but only came to light after a video of the bullying went viral.
In the video, a Grade 10 learner was seen being physically and emotionally abused by a group of learners, some of whom were allegedly members of the rugby team. According to reports, the Grade 10 pupil was not the only one assaulted by the group in question.
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Western Cape Education Department confirms suspension of learners
While police confirmed that a criminal case has since been opened, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) also confirmed that eight learners were suspended,
WCED Spokesperson, Bronagh Hammond, said that the School Governing Body (SGB) approved the precautionary suspension to ensure a fair and transparent disciplinary process.
“The suspended learners will face formal disciplinary hearings in accordance with the relevant procedures. In addition, counselling and psychosocial support are being provided and will continue to be available to those affected,” Hammond explained.
The Chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Joy Maimela, urged the WCED to conduct an investigation into the matter and report back to the committee.
Briefly News contacted Milnerton High School and the WCED for comment, but had not received a response by the time of publication. Both institutions were given ample time to reply before publication.
Social worker weighs in on suspension of learners
Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, social worker Fathima Khan, the Director of Khan’s Intellectual Services, said that suspending the learners alone didn’t take away the violence around bullying, and there was a need for a change in the mindset of the boys.
Speaking about the victims, Khan said that they needed to receive counselling and have open dialogues with professional workers to render emotional support. While she emphasised that this was necessary, she added that there needed to be support for the bullies as well.
“The parents need to consider having a support group for the victims of the incident and look at ways to help the bullies as well.
“Most of the time, the bully comes from a background of being bullied, and that’s the only way they know how to behave. A change must happen to help all,” she stated.
Khan concluded that there was a need for the rehabilitation of those involved, adding that there needed to be a greater focus on uplifting and creating avenues for empowering the youth.
Source: Original
Mother of bullying victim speaks out
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.
The incident, in which more than one learner was assaulted by fellow pupils, has since sparked national outrage.
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Source: Briefly News
