Boy 'beaten into submission'

2004-09-20 09:15

Hannah Keal

Pietermaritzburg - A schoolboy here, who was severely beaten by fellow pupils at Voortrekker High School's Huis Jan Stander hostel while the teachers on duty allegedly turned a blind eye, has spoken out about the abuse.

The 14-year-old boy is in Grade 7 at Gert Maritz Primary School, but through a special arrangement with Voortrekker, was boarding at Huis Jan Stander.

He was so badly assaulted in the hostel on September 6 that he could not sit down in class the next morning.

The injuries were allegedly sustained during a "corridor session" in which pupils are forced to crawl on hands and knees past other hostel dwellers, who then hit the pupil.

The practice is referred to as "witblitz" or "bak-oond".

Other pupils, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they are forced to repeat the crawl of shame up to as many as 10 times.

In some cases, junior pupils' heads are held down in a tub of water until the senior can hear his name being screamed from under the water and the child is allowed to take a breath of air.

There are also reports of pupils being forced to stand in the hostel hallways until the early hours of the morning as detention.

The seniors allegedly force the Grade 7, 8 and 9 boys into one toilet cubicle and if they make any noise, water is thrown on them from the top of the cubicle.

As many as 15 to 20 pupils are forced inside the cubicle.

"It was reported to me that it was so tight inside that the boys were crying and found it very difficult to breathe.

"It was further reported that injuries were common after such an exercise," said the child's mother.

When a teacher at Gert Maritz noticed the child was in pain on September 7, the day after the assault, he took him to the Gert Maritz principal, who inspected his injuries and informed the principal of Voortrekker.

"My son said that he was in serious trouble due to his injuries being found out and that he was informed by the senior pupils that he would face a second 'witblitz' session that night."

To ensure silence, children are forbidden to complain to their parents and threatened with further beatings if they so much as breathe a word about the abuse.

In a sworn statement, a woman who accompanied the child's mother to a meeting with the head of hostel on September 7 said the head of hostel acknowledged that the teacher on duty that night "was present and aware of the punishment".

She also said the head of the hostel admitted that children who break rules have a choice to face him or the "bak-oond".

The child has identified two teachers and 20 pupils as the instigators.

The child's parents have taken him out of the school and the boarding establishment.

- The Witness