A 15-year-old pupil from the prestigious Kimberley Boys’ High School in the Northern Cape is dead after allegedly being bullied in the schoolyard.
Northern Cape police spokesperson Dimakatso Mooi confirmed that a docket had been opened into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mxolisi Nelson Qwele (15) and that the case would soon be referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for a decision about whether to proceed to trial.
The police were called in because doctors were not sure whether his death was as a result of natural causes.
It is understood that preliminary medical examinations show that one of his lungs collapsed, that there was blood in his throat and that his brain was swollen.
Qwele was allegedly throttled at school by a fellow pupil, four days before he went into a coma. A week later, he died.
He initially complained about a sore throat, but his condition rapidly deteriorated.
Although the circumstances around Qwele’s death are not yet fully known, his family believes that a bully at the school is responsible.
According to a source close to the family, Qwele was bullied so often that he did not want to return to the school next year.
“He wasn’t happy at all and often complained about bullying at the school. On Monday, November 17, a boy who is a year older than Mxolisi strangled him on two occasions.
“Mxolisi begged him not to do that, but that didn’t stop him,” said the friend of the family.
That afternoon Mxolisi complained about a sore throat.
“His aunt, who raised him like a mother, took him to the doctor the next day. They just gave him throat lozenges and sent him home,” the source claimed.
By Wednesday, Mxolisi’s condition had begun deteriorating rapidly.
“He couldn’t speak and was struggling to breathe. That’s when his aunt phoned an ambulance.
“By Saturday he was dead.
“He was such a nice boy. He went to church every Sunday and he called himself a pastor.
“His aunt sold Herbalife. He was keen on exercise and used the products. He was very proud of his six pack.”
According to doctors, Mxolisi’s condition could be related to the throttling incident or it could be the result of an undiagnosed medical condition.
The complete results of the autopsy are still outstanding, said Geoffrey van der Merwe, spokesperson for the Northern Cape education department.
“We are aware of this incident and it is being investigated.
“It is not yet clear whether the incident on school grounds led to the death of the boy.”
He said the school’s headmaster, Wilfred Sell, had already called in the guardians of the involved boys and, if there were grounds for it, a disciplinary hearing would be held next month.
Get in touchCity Press | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rise above the clutter | Choose your news | City Press in your inbox | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
City Press is an agenda-setting South African news brand that publishes across platforms. Its flagship print edition is distributed on a Sunday. |