North West department investigates Klerksdorp principal over caning video

The North West department of education has confirmed it is investigating a video circulating on social media that appears to show the principal of Prestige Secondary School in Alabama, Klerksdorp, physically disciplining pupils in a classroom.

The footage, which was shared by CrimeInSA on X, shows what appears to be the principal striking pupils with what looks like a stick in front of their classmates. It is not yet clear what led to the incident or how many pupils were involved.

PRINCIPAL CAUGHT ON CAMERA ADMINISTERING CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AT KLERKSDORP SCHOOL KLERKSDORP, NORTH WEST — The principal of Prestige Secondary School in Alabama, Klerksdorp, has come under scrutiny after allegedly being captured on camera physically disciplining learners inside… pic.twitter.com/dgPRXaMl78

Department spokesperson Dr Elias Malindi said officials became aware of the video on Wednesday and have sent a team to the school to investigate.

“We became aware of the video yesterday. And then today we sent the team to conduct their investigation at the school. We are just about to ascertain the findings,” said Malindi.

He said the department would decide on further action once the investigation was complete.

Corporal punishment has been banned in South African schools under the South African Schools Act of 1996, though cases surface from time to time, often after being captured on video and shared on social media.

Section 10 of the Act states that no person may administer corporal punishment to a pupil at a school, and that anyone who does so is guilty of an offence and can be sentenced as if convicted of assault. The ban was later reinforced by a 2000 Constitutional Court ruling which rejected an attempt by a group of private Christian schools to be exempted from the law on religious grounds.

Despite the law, corporal punishment is a persistent problem in South African schools, with children’s rights organisations regularly calling for tougher consequences for educators who break the law.