By Charmaine Ndlela 

Calls for stronger anti-bullying measures and mental health support have intensified after the death of Grade 3 learner Imibongo Ntamehlo from Gxulu, outside Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, with her family alleging she had endured persistent bullying from fellow pupils.

Imibongo’s mother, Sisipho Ntamehlo, said her daughter had been bullied for a long time before the incident.

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch, Sisipho said other schoolchildren made her daughter’s life extremely difficult.

“She was isolated for carrying R2 at school while other children had R10. We are struggling because I am unemployed,” she said.

According to her mother, the bullying extended beyond the school premises.

“On their way to and from school she was also bullied. While on the transport to and from school, other pupils would beat her up and force her to make space for them,” she said.

The incident has sparked widespread concern about bullying in schools and the mental wellbeing of young learners.

The Select Committee on Education, Sciences and Creative Industries expressed “deep sadness” following reports of the learner’s death.

Committee chairperson Makhi Feni extended condolences to Imibongo’s family, as well as fellow learners and educators affected by the tragedy.

“It is not normal that a learner as young as Imibongo would commit such an act. We are therefore calling for a thorough investigation into this incident,” Feni said.

He said bullying remained a serious challenge in schools and stressed the need for educators and authorities to intensify efforts to address it.

“Our children must find parental love and protection in schools. This is a tragic story that reflects on our system, and the sooner incidents like these are properly addressed and resolved, the better,” he said.

Feni said schools, together with provincial and national education authorities, had to take stronger steps to prevent bullying and protect learners.

“The reality is that many of our schools lack social work and welfare services, as well as adequate learning security,” he said.

The committee said it would seek further information about the circumstances surrounding the incident, while urging provincial authorities to provide support to the affected family.

“The province must assist the family in every way possible,” Feni added.

South African Depression and Anxiety Group supervisor Phumla Mbuyane said the incident highlighted the urgent need for mental health awareness programmes in primary schools.

Mbuyane said children often experienced trauma and emotional distress at a very young age, yet mental health programmes typically focused on older learners.

“Eight years is very young. For a child to even think of harming themselves, it means they must have gone through a lot and felt that there was no way out,” she said.

She added that many children who experienced bullying might engage in self-harm as a way of coping with emotional pain.

“There are many children who self-harm because they feel the pain inside them needs to be released,” she said.

Mbuyane said the organisation runs programmes that visit schools to educate learners about mental health, but these initiatives often focus on older grades.

“We usually go to schools to speak about mental health, but we do not always focus on younger grades such as Grade 3. This incident shows we need to revisit those programmes and also include primary schools,” she said.

She said early intervention was critical because unresolved trauma in childhood could affect learners as they grew older.

“When learners reach high school, many of them have already experienced trauma. Some start self-harming, using drugs or struggling to concentrate in class,” she said.

Mbuyane also raised concerns about children’s exposure to social media at a young age, saying it might influence how they perceived themselves and others.

“Children now have access to platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. They see unrealistic lifestyles and sometimes harmful content, which can affect how they think and behave,” she said.

She emphasised that addressing bullying required collective responsibility from parents, schools and society.

“We cannot place the blame only on the child, the parents or the school. Society as a whole needs to do more to protect children,” she said.

Mbuyane said schools and communities should also ensure that learners from disadvantaged backgrounds were not excluded or humiliated because of poverty.

“If there are activities such as fundraising for food at school, teachers and school governing bodies should ensure that every child is included so that no learner feels left out,” she said.

Imibongo will be laid to rest in Gxulu village on Saturday.

INSIDE EDUCATION