Taueatsoala confirmed the teachers named in the letter were still employed at the school. “The labour unit has afforded them legal representation,” he said.
Anna said her brother’s letter revealed the emotional and psychological abuse he allegedly suffered. In his note, Maimela expressed feelings of despair, recounting how he was ridiculed for his academic struggles.
“He was told he would ‘amount to nothing’ after failing to attend extra lessons during the school holidays,” she said.
Taueatsoala said the department has reached out to Maimela’s family, with social workers accompanying department officials to provide support.
When asked about measures to prevent future bullying incidents, he said: “The department’s school safety unit is embarking on workshops. On the weekend Mr Maimela died, there was a workshop held with teachers to refresh them on issues that relate to school safety, particularly school violence.
“The MEC plans to have a two-day seminar on school violence in the province focusing on secondary and primary schools.”
Taueatsoala stressed the importance of having designated safety officials in every school to ensure bullying incidents are reported and addressed promptly. He criticised the tendency to conceal incidents until they gain media attention.
“We call on principals never to hide such cases … We’ve seen videos captured in March and April and they only surface in September and October and you wonder what was really happening.”
TimesLIVE
Modiegi Mashamaite
www.timeslive.co.za
