Police say pupils recorded a brawl at Lentegeur High School with the intention of making it go viral and the Western Cape Education Department has encouraged social media users to “stop the share”.

On Wednesday February 5, during a meeting about school placements (“Battle for place in class,” Plainsman, February 11), parents showed the Plainsman a video of pupils fighting at the school

Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), said the incident was gang-related.

The fight took place during the school interval, she said, adding that police were called and the situation stabilised.

“The school governing body is addressing this in terms of their disciplinary procedures,” said Ms Hammond.

Lentegeur SAPS spokesperson, Constable Navon Van Houten, confirmed the video was gang-related. According to their information, a pupil instructed a friend to record the fight so that it could go viral on TikTok, he said.

“There is gang tension in the area, and some learners are involved with these gangs. No serious injuries were reported at the police station. The learners involved were suspended pending a hearing,” he said. “The complainant must open a case, as SAPS does not open cases on behalf of individuals due to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).”

Ms Hammond said it is difficult to determine the original source of the video.

“Once it is shared, we cannot trace its origin unless the school has specific evidence. In that instance, the school must conduct disciplinary action based on their code of conduct and social media policies,” she said.

Ms Hammond said that, under POPIA, a WhatsApp group is considered a channel, making it difficult to identify the administrator or members.

“However, we have requested the Information Regulator to investigate. We hope this will help identify those responsible,” she said adding that the Information Regulator has acknowledged receipt of their application and they expect feedback soon.

“The content shared is harmful to everyone involved. We encourage anyone exposed to it to report it to WhatsApp using their reporting mechanism. We need to ‘stop the share’ as much as possible,” she said.

Lentegeur CPF chairperson Michael Jacobs condemned the incident, saying it disrupts learning.

“We call on parents to take responsibility for their children’s behaviour. As a CPF, we will work with principals, teachers, the school governing body, and safer schools,” he said.

He said there was “heavy gang recruitment” at schools and drug sales were happening between pupils. He emphasised the need for collective action to address these issues and ensure a safer school environment.

Lentegeur High School’s principal declined to comment after the Plainsman contacted them.

Schools, parents, and pupils can contact the WCED Safe Schools call centre at 0800 45 46 47 for immediate support.