Sea Point High learner pleads for help after months of bullying

A 15-year-old Sea Point High learner is the latest victim in a surge of bullying incidents at Western Cape schools this year, claiming his alleged attackers threatened to end his life. Police have since confirmed that a case of assault is being investigated.

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) said it was made aware of the physical attacks and that disciplinary action would take place for the learners allegedly involved.

During an exclusive interview with the Cape Argus the learner, accompanied by his father, described months of violence. They said these attacks went unchecked.

The Grade 8 learner broke his silence with his father last week, when the "attacks" escalated and was caught on videos.

He said the abuse has been constant and that a group of older learners terrorised him since the second term.

“I’ve been bullied since May and it’s a gang of seven or eight kids that are involved,” he said. “They search me every morning when I get to school and if I don’t have money on me they beat me. They told me that if I tell anyone, they’ll murder me. I believe them.”

The learner said the assaults have taken a toll.  “I’ve been punched, smacked and kicked. Yesterday, I couldn’t open my mouth because it was so painful,” he said. He believes he has been targeted. “These seven or eight learners are picking on me specifically. I just want to be left alone and for them to be in jail. I don’t want other children to have to experience what happened to me.”

His father said his son has been living in fear and finally broke his silence in a bid to end his trauma.  “When he gets to school, they are waiting for him,” he said. “Whenever he has a project for school he completes it but doesn’t submit it because he is concerned that these learners will break it.”

The father explained the latest attack forced him to act. “I have videos of these attacks that I’m quite happy to share with the public if it means that the same thing won’t happen to another child.”

He added that the school advised him to go to police.  “The school has said that I can go to the police and that they will investigate. What is there to investigate? We have it on video,” he said. “I haven’t been to the police up until now because I didn’t want to give the school a bad reputation but I’ve had enough now. Nothing is more important to me than my children, especially not the school’s reputation.”

He is now unsure about next year.  “It’s the end of the year now and I’m still not sure what we are going to do next term. If the school can assure me that nothing further is going to happen to him, I would like to keep him in the school. Sea Point has quite a good reputation and changing schools isn’t easy for anyone.”

He fears a repeat of Milnerton High, where a bullying complaint triggered disciplinary action and a criminal investigation a month ago. The investigation into that particular matter is set to continue after the exams.

Eight learners were arrested, two of whom are juveniles with the court case set to continue in January 2026.

“I don’t want to see what happened at Milnerton High happen at Sea Point. We need to set an example to make sure that something like this doesn’t happen to any other children," the father said.

"We need to send a message to all the bullies.” He also fears backlash. “I just hope the school itself doesn’t hold this against him because this isn’t good for their reputation.”

WCED spokesperson Millicent Merton confirmed the incident.  “Sea Point High School received a report from a learner’s father last night indicating that his son was physically attacked by three other learners.

"The parents/guardians of the learners involved have been contacted and disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with the school’s Code of Conduct. The school has also been informed that the matter has been reported to the South African Police Service. It is further noted that the learner had previously reported incidents of bullying and the school had implemented support measures at that time.”

SAPS spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed a case is under investigation.  “Kindly be advised that an assault common case has been registered at Sea Point SAPS for investigation. Investigations continues, no arrests as yet.”

The case has again spotlighted escalating violence in schools. Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, the Children’s Hospital Trust is training 60 medical professionals to detect and manage bullying and abuse, developing new tools for healthcare workers and building referral pathways to ensure at-risk children receive help faster.

Max and Me, an emotional-resilience and anti-bullying organisation, says the Sea Point case mirrors what they see across Cape Town classrooms. The group has engaged with more than 1,000 learners this year. Manager Natalie Chisikana said many children are too afraid to speak up, while others carry unaddressed trauma from home. The organisation runs workshops, safe-space conversations and resilience training, and also works with parents and teachers.

For now, the teenager said he wants only one thing:  “I just want to be left alone.”

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Cape Argus