‘My children still have nightmares’
FOR a Durban mother of three, reading about Lufuno Mavhunga committing suicide after videos of her being bullied went viral, has brought back memories of her children’s ordeal.
Lufuno, 15, a pupil at Mbilwi Secondary School in Limpopo, committed suicide by allegedly overdosing on pills on April 12, shortly after the videos of a fellow pupil assaulting her went viral.
In one of the videos, Lufuno is arguing with a fellow pupil, when another arrives and slaps her several times. Lufuno does not fight back and tries to reason with the pupil.
In another video, Lufuno and the pupil tussle and are separated by a male pupil. Her attacker pulls her hair and slaps her. Other pupils cheer the attacker.
The 14-year-old appeared in the Thoyoyandou Children’s Magistrate's Court in Limpopo on April 16 and she was remanded in custody for a bail hearing last Thursday. The matter was adjourned to this week.
Melicia Harripersadh, 37, of Berea, spoke to the POST in February last year. This was after her children were allegedly bullied since the start of the 2020 school year.
She said her daughter, who was in Grade 1 last year, was harassed and bullied.
Harripersadh said a male pupil, in the same grade, chased her daughter in an attempt to kiss her and that a female pupil often pushed her child into a toilet cubicle, which she locked from the inside. She said her daughter was also slapped.
Harripersadh said her sons, who were in Grades 3 and 5 last year, were allegedly head-butted and hit on several occasions in school.
At the time, Harripersadh, who is self-employed, said her attempts to meet with officials from the school and the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal were futile. She then reached out to Kwazi Mshengu, the KZN MEC for Education, on Twitter.
When she received no feedback, she wrote to the office of Angie Motshekga, the Minister of Education.
“Finally, after going back and forth, my children were transferred to another school, which they started this year. I refused to send them back to that school. They have had to repeat their grades, but they are in a better learning environment.”
Harripersadh said her children often had nightmares due to the alleged bullying and they had become withdrawn.
“My two younger children used to wake up screaming, or they would cry in their sleep.
“When I tried to place my hand on my younger son's shoulder to give him a hug, he used to flinch. Sometimes he spoke about being hit in school and then he would just stare into space with tears in his eyes."
Harripersadh said after reading the note that Lufuno wrote prior to her death, which was shared on social media, she thought of her older son.
“It could have been my child that decided he could no longer handle the bullying and embarrassment and resort to suicide. What if there was a video of him being assaulted? What would he have done? It frightens me. I can only imagine the pain her family must be going through.”
Harripersadh said the pupil responsible for assaulting Lufuno must be held accountable.
“This case cannot be swept under the carpet. A clear message needs to be sent to all bullies that their actions will not be tolerated. But others who were involved, even the one recording the incident and those who shared the video on social media, must be brought to task. A child died because of their actions.
“I also question where the school staff was when this was happening? Why was it not stopped and how were pupils allowed to have cellphones? That should be investigated."
She continued: “I think that the education department and its employees, including principals and teachers, need to step up and tell children that there are serious consequences if they are found guilty of bullying. Parents need to ensure their children are taught discipline, which starts at home.
"We need to remember those who bully in schools are also children who have emotions. Sometimes, they turn out this way because they lack affection or attention at home, which makes them want to get it elsewhere. But sometimes in a negative way."
Harripersadh said the consequences of a child being bullied were long-term.
“I can see the difference in my children. From being outspoken and outgoing, they have lost their confidence and are withdrawn. I also see a lack of self-esteem and their enthusiasm, especially for school, has changed. They still work hard but there is no longer that spark in their eyes.
"My fear is the long-term impact. While we don't often remember the good things from our childhood, many people recall bad events."