Shocking footage of Cape Town learners allegedly being 'auctioned'
The Western Cape Education Department has addressed the footage that shows the blatant humiliation of Black students.
Disclaimer: Please note that this article is not suitable for sensitive readers.
According to Netwerk24, a one-minute and 38-second video reportedly showing Pinelands High School learners auctioning off Black learners has been shared on social media.
The video, which was originally posted on one of the learner's social media accounts, has since been removed. eNCA has published the video here.
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The footage that was captured is reminiscent of the horrific time in history when slave auctions took place across the world.
In the video, schoolchildren can be heard shouting, "Going once, going twice, sold!" while a Black learner is seen standing in what seems to be a cage.
The "Auctioneer" asks for silence before the "bidding" starts at R10,000 for one of the "slaves" and continues from there.
Netwerk24 spoke to a parent whose child is a Grade 8 learner at Pinelands and she shared that her son was also cornered by the group of learners and told to get into the bike cage.
Her son told her about the incident that took place on the 25th of July and that he had managed to escape the group before they grabbed another child.
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She says her son knew that the situation was wrong when he saw what was happening to the other children and she visited the school the next day to address the matter.
The school was apparently unaware of the incident, and the video that was shared on social media.
Bronagh Hammond, the Provincial Education Department spokesperson, told TimesLive that senior officials have visited the school.
Pupils were interviewed following the traumatic events and were offered support, including counselling.
The actions of the learners do not reflect the values and ethos of the school or the [department]. The school had already initiated an investigation into the event in terms of its disciplinary procedures, after an allegation of racist bullying, in connection with an event that occurred on Thursday. The school management has also engaged the staff and learners and will communicate with the parent community. The school governing body (SGB) has convened and a number of learners have been precautionarily suspended pending the conclusion of an ongoing investigation.
The school governing body and the Pinelands principal have released the following joint statement:
Our school has long grappled with the injustices of the past and this incident serves as a poignant reminder of the critical importance of our ongoing conversations about race, privilege, bullying, social media pranks, and the impact of our words and actions in the physical and digital world.
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Main image courtesy of eNCA