Alleged bully to be removed from school

An alleged bully will temporarily be removed from his school to receive counselling after he was implicated in the death of a Grade 7 learner.

"He is going to be temporarily removed from the school. He will be getting support from the district‚" said Gauteng Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane on Friday after meeting with Noorderlig Gekombineerde High School principal Frederick Frikkie Smith in Benoni.

"The principal will be contacting his parents and‚ if they agree‚ he will be removed from the school."

Nkosi-Malobane said the boy will be receiving notes from the school to catch up with academic work while he is away.

She said the boy‚ who is also in Grade 7‚ is traumatised and does not understand what is going on.

"What we've been told is that there was a fight between the three boys. There was no history [of bullying]‚ that is what I have been told."

Nkosi-Malobane was at the school to investigate the circumstances surrounding the 13-year-old's death.

She addressed the learners and encouraged them to report incidents of bullying at the school.

Shortly after her address‚ Nkosi-Malobane handed out gifts to 50 learners.

This apparently angered some learners who told the MEC that she had given gifts to bullies.

"They are telling us that we were giving presents to bullies. They know who they are. They also shared their experiences."

The 13-year-old boy died on Tuesday after suffering injuries allegedly related to bullying at the school.

According to media reports‚ the boy and his brother were repeatedly bullied.