Bullying crisis in Gauteng schools takes a heavy toll
When cries for help go unheard
Bullying in Gauteng schools has reached a deadly tipping point, a crisis now tragically captured in the final words of 16-year-old Lerato Mochadieane, who took his own life after years of torment at El-Shaddai Christian School in Vaal.
Months before his death, Lerato wrote a chilling note revealing the weight of the abuse he endured daily, a desperate warning the system failed to hear. His family says the bullying began in 2022 and escalated into sexual, emotional and physical harassment.
Despite repeated reports to the school, including an earlier suicide attempt that landed him in ICU, the family said no decisive action was taken.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) awaits a formal report from the school.
The tragedy comes as Gauteng faces an alarming surge in bullying cases, intensifying pressure on the GDE to implement a measurable safety strategy to protect learners.
The Democratic Alliance (DA)’s Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, Sergio Isa Dos Santos MPL, has accused the GDE of “failing to curb the growing scourge of bullying in our schools, despite publicly condemning these acts,” warning that children are being left to navigate violence and intimidation without meaningful intervention.
His criticism follows a written response from Education MEC Matome Chiloane, who confirmed that bullying incidents have steadily increased between 2022 and 2024, with 21 formal cases recorded in the previous cycle alone. Outcomes varied, with only two expulsions, eight reinstatements with conditions, and five withdrawals, figures the DA describes as “a fraction of the true picture.”
Chiloane said the department follows disciplinary procedures outlined in General Notice No. 2591 of 2001, requiring schools to hold hearings and provide psychosocial support to both victims and perpetrators.
“Learners are referred to School-Based Support Teams, NICRO, SANCA, the Teddy Bear Clinic or the Department of Social Development, depending on assessments.”
He added that districts have convened anti-bullying roundtables with the Department of Basic Education and UNESCO, and schools have introduced bullying boxes, NGO-led awareness drives and educational tours to youth centres and correctional facilities as preventative measures.
Chiloane also stated that the GDE did not have reports regarding educator-on-learner bullying reports.
However, Dos Santos said this falls dangerously short.
“It is deeply alarming that the department keeps no record of cases involving teachers accused of bullying learners,” he said. “Without proper monitoring, we cannot grasp the real extent of abuse happening inside classrooms. This is a systemic failure, not a discipline issue.”
He warned that the GDE’s lack of decisive action “should terrify every parent,” adding that bullying is not only eroding academic performance but leaving children with lifelong psychological scars.
The DA said it will table follow-up questions to secure updated figures for the 2025 academic year and continue pushing for stronger oversight, early detection mechanisms and province-wide accountability.
“Schools must be more than centres of learning,” Dos Santos said. “They must be safe, nurturing environments where no child fears walking through the gates.”
The crisis is not unfolding in isolation. The Star has reported repeatedly this year on violent bullying incidents that expose the sheer brutality playing out in and outside Gauteng classrooms.
A video showing seven teen girls violently assaulting a fellow learner sparked a court case and widespread public outrage. In Pretoria, a mother’s viral plea over her daughter being bullied at Sutherland High School forced the Gauteng Education Department to investigate.
The Star