IN Cape Town, South Africa, four schoolchildren from Pinelands High School are set to face a disciplinary hearing following the circulation of a viral video showing black students being auctioned off as slaves. The video, filmed at the school and involving grade eight students, triggered widespread outrage on social media last Friday.
The footage depicts students in a cage while others bid for them, a scene that has drawn severe condemnation. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has launched its own investigation into the incident, emphasising the distressing nature of such events occurring 30 years into the country’s democracy.
‘It is disturbing that these incidences continue to occur 30 years into democracy,’ the SAHRC stated, expressing particular concern over the incidents happening in schools. The four students implicated in the mock auction have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the Western Cape Education Department, announced that the investigation is nearing completion with 24 learners already interviewed. She added, ‘Steps will also be taken against other learners who may have transgressed certain provisions within the code of conduct.’
The incident was brought to light after one pupil showed the footage to his mother, Merle Potgieter, who then informed the school’s management and local media. According to Potgieter, her 14-year-old son fought off boys who were trying to force him into the caged enclosure along with other black boys already inside.
The perpetrators were identified as coloured, a South African term for mixed-race. In the video, children can be heard making bids of up to 100,000 rand ($5,400; £4,200), with one boy shouting, ‘Going once… going twice… sold!’
The school has prioritised counselling support for those affected and has conducted debriefing sessions for all grade eight pupils.
The history of slavery in Cape Town dates back to the 1650s when the Dutch colonised the peninsula, bringing thousands of enslaved people from southeast Asia, Madagascar, and Mozambique. Despite its multi-ethnic composition, Cape Town remains one of the most racially segregated and unequal cities in South Africa, a legacy of apartheid policies that pushed black and mixed-race communities into segregated townships.
On Tuesday, MP Makhi Feni, chair of the parliamentary committee on education, urged the involved schools to ‘consider meaningful programmes that will foster social cohesion and South African-ness.’ He questioned what could embolden young students, unaware of the country’s historical context, to act in such a racist manner.
The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party has called for the pupils involved to be suspended for at least two years and to perform community service in black areas. The EFF has threatened protests and potential school shutdowns if the authorities’ response is deemed inadequate.
This incident highlights ongoing issues of racial tension and the need for continued efforts toward social cohesion and equality in South Africa’s education system.
(with the BBC)
