A screenshot of the video. The fight went viral on social media.
Image: Video screenshot
TWO Chatsworth schoolgirls who were involved in a fight outside school this week, have been suspended and will face an internal disciplinary next week.
Several videos of the fist fight between the two pupils at Southlands Secondary School have sparked concerns over escalating violence among schoolchildren, prompting calls for action from parents and community leaders.
The footage, which was filmed on a cellphone camera by another pupil, showed a Grade 12 girl calling on the Grade 10 pupil to "put the first hit", saying “You wanted to stab me your ****”.
In the video, the two schoolgirls are seen fighting with each other. One of the girls landed on the bonnet of the scholar transport car after she was punched.
A second video showed the girls rolling on the road while gripping on to each other, while the third video showed the girls punching each other and pulling each other’s hair.
According to the Grade 12 girl’s mother, who did not want to be named, the fight happened after school on Tuesday.
The 48-year-old woman told the POST that she had watched the fight in horror.
She said her older daughter was on a video call with her sister after school, when the fight broke out.
The mother said she quizzed her daughter about what had led to the fight.
“My daughter and her friend were laughing during the lunch break, and the Grade 10 girl said they were mocking her, which led to the fight which started then and continued after school.”
The mother claimed her daughter and the girl involved in the fight had been best friends for a few years before they ended their friendship last year.
“The prefect had intervened during the altercation in the lunch break, and escorted my daughter to her class. The girl told my daughter she would fight her after school and the security guards at the school were notified of the incident.
“A guard escorted my daughter out of the school after class on Tuesday, but the girl approached her a few metres away from the school gate. The fight happened outside the school,” the woman added.
She said one of her worst fears as a parent came true when she was told by her eldest child at home that daughter in school was being threatened.
“My daughters were on a video call. I was with my eldest child at home. We were waiting for my daughter to come home with her scholar transport.
“Suddenly daughter came running down the stairs at home with her phone in hand and showed me that her sister was being attacked. The scholar transport provider also had his phone in his hand, showing us the fight.
“I watched for a few seconds in horror before I rushed to the school. By the time I got there, the fight had stopped and the girl who assaulted my daughter was gone.
“My daughter and I went to the girl’s father’s house, but she was not there. We told her dad what had happened, and he was shocked.
“We then went to the police station and opened a case. The police gave us a form to fill at the doctor, and they said they would investigate,” the mother added.
She said her daughter had bruises all over her body, and lacerations to her hands.
She said both girls were suspended from school, pending a tribunal next week.
“The school management called us for a meeting on Wednesday morning. The girl’s parents were also at the meeting.
“My daughter said that the girl had a knife in her possession, and she was lunging at my daughter with it. My daughter had blocked the lunges with her hands, which resulted in her hands being stabbed,” claimed the mother.
“The girl told the school management during the meeting that she did not have a knife, but she used a compass during the fight.
“Both them were suspended until next Thursday. I believe my daughter acted in self-defence,” she added.
Southlands Secondary School governing body (SGB) chairperson, Dalvin Pillay, said the school was dealing with the matter, and he declined to comment further.
Rocky Naidoo, PRO of the Bayview Community Police Forum (CPF), said the videos showed the “unbecoming behaviour” of pupils, and raised concerns about fights at schools.
“We need to teach our children to be respectful of everyone. We engage with schools on a regular basis to educate our pupils of how they should conduct themselves. We are supposed to protect one another against criminals, and not be criminals.
“We cannot have this kind of behaviour in our neighborhood. We call on the school to act decisively against these girls.
“We have engaged with the school, and the Havenside Civic Association has also engaged with the school. The SGB is working to address and resolve the matter, and the Bayview police are investigating a case of assault,” Naidoo added.
He said Bayview police had noted an increase in criminal elements at schools in the 19 schools in their policing area, and an imbizo was held two weeks ago to address criminal elements in schools.
The meeting also addressed bullying, fights and indecent assaults at schools.
“There was a poor turnout in the meeting. Bullying, fights and indecent assaults are escalating at schools.
“Since August last year, over 21 cases were opened at the Bayview police station related to incidents at schools.
“We want to educate our parents and keep them in the loop to create a crime-free school society. We also need to get our children to be tolerant and mindful of other pupils.
“Parents need to be role models, have conflict management skills and be the shining light to all children. But how do we do this when only about 20 parents show up to a meeting when parents from 19 schools were invited?
“We need decisive action from the schools and the parents, for school fights and violence to be curbed,” Naidoo added.