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Demonstrating Sadtu members locked the main gate of the Eastern Cape education department's head office in Zwelitsha.
Senior pupils at a top private school are being investigated after allegedly forcing younger boys to “mock-rape” a bus seat while travelling on school outings.
St David’s Marist Inanda in Sandton launched the probe after a parent approached LeadSA’s Terry Volkwyn at a function and raised concern over the so-called initiation. Eye Witness News first broadcast the story on Monday.
The incident happened last Friday when the pupils were returning from a swimming gala, and a similar incident had happened while the pupils were going on camp.
The school’s CEO, Mike Greeff, who referred to the incident as “stupidity that took place at the back of the bus”, said it was not clear at this stage how many pupils had been involved.
The school said in a statement it condemned “any behaviour that intimidates, humiliates or frightens any other person. We are shocked and disappointed that any of our boys would be involved in behaviour which may cause distress or humiliation. Such incidents violate our code of conduct and anti-bullying policy.”
The SA Schools Act also prohibits initiation practices.
Greeff said the investigation could reveal more incidents.
“We can’t rule out the possibility that there might be other incidents, but I can assure you that this will not happen again,” he said.
Greeff said the school did allow for new pupils to undergo orientation, so that they were familiarised with its culture.
“In terms of orientation, the youngsters must do things like learning the school’s song and such so that they have a sense of belonging. (The seniors) pushed the envelope with this… it will absolutely not be tolerated,” he said.
Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy was alerted to the incident by LeadSA and had a meeting with the school’s management at the weekend.
Her department’s spokesman, Charles Phahlane, said the department could not be directly involved as St David’s Marist Inanda is a private school.
“The MEC advised the school to get to the bottom of this because not only does it involve the (violation) of the SA Schools Act, but also the Sexual Offences Act,” he said.
Izabella Little, an internationally published author and parenting expert, said severe cases of initiation in schools were decreasing and schools had been firmer in dealing with the practice.
“Schools are now very strict in dealing with this, but kids will be kids, and they sometimes do these things behind their teachers’ backs,” she said.
LeadSA’s Yusuf Abramjee, who had also spoken to the school’s management, said the school “must come clean” with its investigation.
“The only way to stop this from happening again is to bring it to the fore,” he said. - The Star
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PP, wrote
@ Observer: Real men blah blah blah. Is there a manual that I can buy from Exclusive Books that tells me how to be a "real man" or am I bound by some small minded middle class morality that has emasculated boys & men into behaving like choir boys on Ritalin
Garryn, wrote
Observer, wrote
Going by some of the asinine and puerile comments on this thread, it seems there are a number of fathers who are lacking sound moral values and have failed to raise their sons with sound moral values, and so they have reproduced after their own kind. Real men don't bully (real men also don't rape).
PP, wrote
@ Anne: The news headline uses the word "rape" to grab your attention and drive eyeballs to this site so as to increase revenue from advertising. There was no rape - stop with the hysteria
poplap, wrote
@storm teacup, I feel your pain. Seems they buggered you up well. Time for the schrink my man. Your poor wife. It will be a slow day in hell if my son needs to become a man by being exposed to a couple of rubbished up schoolchildren. Maybe the story went to the newspapers because in spite of repeated attemts to get the head of the school to do something, the person just got fed up enough. The head sounds just like you. Mr greef, go back to class now and do your jop you get paid for.
Storm... Teacup..., wrote
Another slow news day. Initiations are nothing new, most all of us went through them and came out stronger and the better for them. To those who didn't and still bear the scars, my sympathy. But school is a hierarchy, teachers, then seniors, then juniors. Changing that makes the institution ineffective at making men out of boys. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The only problem I see here is that a concerned parent has now subjected their child to a school career of ridicule and torment for what? A ceremonial apology and the possible expulsion of the perpetrators? A child must learn to stand on their own two feet, parents need to allow this as painful as it may be. This is not to say that bulling should be tolerated, that is a separate issue and anyone who confuses this for bullying is trying hard to cause trouble.
Anne, wrote
Rape is not something to make a game of. Whether these boys did it as a prank or not, they don't seem to grasp that rape is an act of unspeakable violence and can NEVER, EVER, be condoned. I have a teenage son and I am at pains to impress on him the importance of respecting women. Rape should never form part of children's games or gossip. It is a deadly serious matter.
Harold Bernstein, wrote
The people who are brushing this off as a harmless prank are probably men who in their youger years were subjected to their own brand of private school anglo saxon initiation. Most probaly a lot of it was sexual in nature. These same men are probably still suffering with sexual dysfunctionalities as a result of this. They have my sympathy.
Edi, wrote
I have a suggestion here, how abt you modify the comment secion so that we will be able to reply a specific post. I know you not goin to reply to that. but anyway just continue with stupid news.
Anonymous, wrote
No body was hurt during the incident, then why raise this issue to such extreme proportions. It's not right for some parent to ruin the senior boys reputation at such a well-founded school.kids need to learn to grow up and back away from mommy, its part of being in high school.
Anonymous, wrote
I think using the word rape was really just exaggerating the problem here. But putting this so far instead of taking it only to the school and not publicly now knowing that St David's has lost its reputation that it has built up over the past how many years
Anonymous, wrote
RAPE! Let's not get carried away here. This is pathetic, I feel very sorry for the boy his high school career is damaged. His mommy should actually take him out of the school if she knows what is good for him. She has tarnished the best time of his school career!
PP, wrote
I suppose we could send them off into the bush, paint their faces with white mud, fill their heads with misogynist mumbo-jumbo and then cut off the end of the penises?
Anonymous, wrote
Seriously i think this is sick , they could have chose a different type of initiation, for a kid to mock rape is twisted , i know its just a bus seat but seriously to think of that you must be seriously twisted.
Anonymous, wrote
Anonymous, wrote
What nonsense is this? parents should raise their kids to stop being panzys and stand up for themselves! A senior tried to take my cooldrink when i was a junior, I threw it against his face and got beat up, but i stood my ground and no one messed with me again
@ also agree!!!!!!, wrote
As long as her was not beaten up, I also know that it was part of introducing him to the group without him getting free entitlement, which ands up to his demise. These little games ends up turning cry babies into strong men, and everyone gets to laugh about it at a later stage, including the assailant
Kirsten, wrote
My point exactly anonymous, no-one should be forced to do anything. I was merely saying Donderbos' argument was moot.
Mark, wrote
Hi my names Mark...Sob!!! 26 years when I started at High School I forced as part of my initiation to have sex....sob...with the upright of a rugby pole... ever since then I have never been able to bring myself to point that I could have a happy and loving relationship with the uprights of rugby poles...I so feel for this young man...imagine his fear of bus chairs... ruined for life... oh cruel cruel world.... bleh!
Heksie, wrote
Dear Mr Mike Greeff, I would suggest you get to the bottom of this, find the instigator, and have him go for councelling as I suspect that this child is being traumatised at home. He needs help, not condemnation.
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