KZN education MEC promises action over viral schoolgirl assault video

KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwane has contacted the father of a 17-year-old girl who was assaulted at an Inanda school‚ and promised that he would make sure action is taken.

In an exclusive interview‚ the teary victim - a pupil at Siyathuthuka Secondary in Inanda‚ north of Durban - refused to watch the video‚ but her sister confirmed it was her. The incident took place in November last year.

The 20-second clip shows a young man‚ a former pupil at the school‚ kicking and hitting a uniformed girl‚ knocking her to the ground. The perpetrator continues to kick the girl in the head and back of the neck while insulting her.

The victim and the perpetrators names are known to TimesLIVE.

“He [Dlungwane] has assured me that his department will get to the bottom of this issue. He also said that he has sent three department officials to the school to establish the facts‚” the father said on Friday morning.

WATCH: Young man hits and kicks schoolgirl in violent attack

(warning: graphic footage)

Department spokesman Muzi Mahlambi confirmed at 9.30am on Friday that he and two of his colleagues were going to the school on a fact-finding mission. They would have a closed meeting with the principal.

“The MEC plans to go there on Monday‚” said Mahlambi.

After requesting the father’s number from a TimesLIVE reporter‚ provincial SAPS spokesman Col Thulani Zwane said police management were appalled at the apparent refusal of local police to open a case.

According to the girl’s dad‚ they tried to report the matter to police in November but were turned away without help.

“We will be liaising with the victim’s father and we assure you a case will be opened today‚” said Zwane.

During an interview on Thursday evening‚ the girl’s family expressed disappointment at the school and the police for ignoring their pleas to help the victim after the video had gone viral following the incident.

She has since left the school.

The father‚ a single parent‚ has since taken his daughter out of the school‚ fearing for her safety after the video was shared among pupils‚ teachers and in the community. TimesLIVE has decided to withhold the family’s names to avoid further trauma.

The perpetrator is now attending school in neighbouring KwaMashu‚ the family said.