The learner can be seen pushing the pupils against a wall while poking their chests before slapping them in full view of students. He then comes back to the three pupils and a bystander can be seen trying to stop him from hitting them again. Shortly afterwards the video cuts.
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education spokesperson S'celo Khuzwayo said the department will probe the facts and take steps against all those implicated in the video.
"The department condemns any form of violence at schools. What we normally do in a situation like this is to take action and establish facts and‚ because the learner can be identified‚ we will take a decision on how to discipline the pupil. We take schools as centres where learners are supposed to get educated and not a place where it will change into a field of violence‚" Khuzwayo said.
Khuzwayo said department officials had not yet seen the video as it's been a hectic first week of school across the province‚ but they will get to the bottom of it. The school's principal declined to comment.