More than 500 bullying incidents have been reported in the first term of the 2025 school calendar, the Department of Basic Education has announced.

In a parliamentary question, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube revealed that Limpopo is leading with the bullying charges, with 305 cases. KwaZulu-Natal is coming in second, reporting 29 cases, followed by Gauteng, which has 23 cases, and Free State with the least number of cases.

"The department is making sure that the school's SGBs are strengthening their anti-bullying policies and codes of conduct," stated Gwarube during her interview with eNCA.

The 500 reported incidents have instilled fear among parents, educators, and child welfare advocates, raising urgent questions about the safety and well-being of learners at schools.

IOL reported on Monday about a recent bullying incident at a KZN school, where a young girl learner was seen in a viral video being bullied and beaten, slapped over 10 times by a classmate at the school's bathroom.

Better reporting needed to fight bullying

Kefilwe Mojapelo, a private psychosocial well-being practitioner and social worker, has called for better reporting channels and extensive awareness campaigns in schools.

“Most of the bullying is caused by geographic inequality, which means the quality of life that the kids receive impacts their way of thinking and behaving,” said Mojapelo.

Township schools deal with a lot of social issues because some of the students come from homes where parents may expose children to inappropriate acts of a sexual nature and may vulgar language.

One of the unique cases that is growing in South Africa is young kids between the ages of six and seven being raped by other children their own age,” said Mojapelo.

On the other hand, suburban schools have faced a lot of discriminatory abuse, like hair and body shaming, and also social media is another contributing factor.

Mojapelo emphasizes that bullying of this type can have either immediate or long-term effects on a child's identity, influencing how they behave in social situations, at school, and even at employment.

They usually bear the stigma of being the bully or the victim, which might affect their ability to bounce back from bullying.

“Employing cognitive therapy can help to understand the roots of this psycho-traumatic experience; sometimes you may find that it all started in class and gradually escalated out of school, leading to stress, which affects the body and mind of a child,” said Mojapelo.

Gwarube said they were taking the bullying issue seriously.

“The Department of Basic Education has stated that it is taking the issue seriously and is working with schools and communities to implement effective prevention and intervention strategies. Currently, the government has more than 700 unemployed social workers, and they are looking to open volunteer opportunities for them,” said Gwarube.

IOL