Several Crossmoor Secondary pupils have been suspended after a video of a fight between female pupils went viral on social media last week.

The video which was taken on a cellphone by another pupil, showed the female pupils, dressed in the school’s uniform, in a physical fight.

Pupils could be heard screaming for one of the girls to slap the other.

“Come on, slap her. We want to go home,” a girl is heard saying.

A scuffle then breaks out between the two girls after one of them slapped the other.

The girl who threw the first slap could be seen grabbing the other girl’s hair and kicking her repeatedly. A crowd of pupils gathered around the two girls and encouraged the fight by cheering them on. Male pupils eventually intervened and stopped the fight.

Muzi Mahlambi, spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (DOE), said all the pupils who had been involved in the fight were suspended.

“We view the issue of bullying very seriously. The circuit manager was sent to the school to investigate and advise on the steps to be taken. There will be a disciplinary hearing for the suspended pupils next week,” added Mahlambi.

Kishore Hambapersad, chairperson of the school’s governing body, said: ”The incident was sensationalised on social media.”

Community leaders are now urging the DOE and police to take immediate action against the escalating violence in schools.

Zain Kassim, chairperson of the Crossmoor Community Policing Forum (CPF), said school fights were becoming prevalent among girls.

“Sadly, the consequences are not very harsh and we see the problem escalating. When fights take place outside the schools, in Crossmoor, we find that the principals and SGBs distance themselves from the situation,” he said.

“Last year, a Crossmoor Secondary female pupil was stabbed in the face during a fight. When a teacher tried to intervene, the teacher was assaulted.

“Not enough is being done to curb fights that happen outside schools. But at the same time there is very little that staff can do,” added Kassim.

“Good parenting plays a huge role in a child’s behaviour. We find that many parents do not discipline their children when they are called to school for fighting or bullying matters. Many parents are rude to staff instead of finding solutions to improve their children’s behaviour,” said Kassim.

“We are also concerned about this recent video. Pupils should not be videoing or promoting fights or inciting violence. We are also calling for the pupil who recorded the fight to be brought to book.

“We are still unsure about what sparked the fight. The last fight was over a boy. Pupils are not in school for relationships. They need to concentrate on their education. A lack of parenting is leading to a lack of morals and ethics among teenagers,” he added.

Sakhile Mngadi, the spokesperson for education for the DA in KZN, said: “The shocking video of pupils engaging in a violent altercation at Crossmoor Secondary School is yet another alarming indication of the breakdown of discipline and safety in our schools. This level of brazen misconduct cannot be normalised, and decisive action is long overdue.

“We have written to KZN Department of Education (DOE) head of department, Nkosinathi Ngcobo, to demand urgent intervention in this matter. Those pupils involved must face immediate and appropriate disciplinary action. In the event that the DOE fails to act swiftly, it will be complicit in the continued erosion of discipline within our schools.”

He said they had repeatedly called for the implementation of province-wide anti-bullying and safety campaigns within KZN’s schools.

“Yet, incidents of violence persist with little to no meaningful intervention by the department. A whole-of-society approach is needed to combat school violence, ensuring that all stakeholders, including government, civil society, and community structures, work together to create safe learning environments.

“Our schools are meant to be places of learning and personal growth, not war zones where pupils and educators fear for their safety. The department’s inability to proactively address these issues speaks to a failure in leadership and governance, which must be rectified with urgency.

“We also call on the Crossmoor community to play an active role in protecting its schools. Parents, teachers and local leaders cannot afford to be passive bystanders while violent and disruptive behaviour festers. Schools should be supported by a strong network of community vigilance, where bullying and violence are immediately reported and appropriately addressed.

“We will not stand by while pupils are subjected to environments that breed fear and hostility and will continue to apply pressure until the department prioritises the safety and wellbeing of pupils.

“The time for complacency has long passed, there must be zero tolerance for violence in our schools,” added Mngadi.

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