Glenvista High School has written a letter of complaint following a viral video of a man believed to be Mamelodi Sundowns head coad Rulani Mokwena manhandling its pupil.
According to Sunday World, the school penned a formal letter to the Gauteng Department of Education detailing what transpired during the assault incident which took place on Wednesday, 11 October.In the letter, Dr Thabile Morgan – who is the school’s principal – said: “On Wednesday, the 11th October 2023 at around 3pm, it is alleged that Mr Rulani Mokwena drove past Glenvista High School.”
The school explained that the incident took place outside the school’s premises while the learners were waiting to be picked up by their parents and the scholar transport services.
“It has since come to the school management [attention] that an incident occurred on this fateful day between our learners and Mr Rulani Mokwena. As per learner’s reports, a learner amongst a group shouted that ‘Sundowns lost their match last week.’”The Masandawana coach reportedly reversed his car, got out of and approached a learner with intent to assault.
“He then grabbed the young man violently by his school uniform and asked: ‘Who said that’.
“Our pupil, fearing that he may be assaulted, pointed at a group of learners. However, Mr Rulani Mokwena was not interested in listening and he was furious.
“Mr Mokwena then said: ‘You don’t know what I have in my car, I will whip you’. As our pupil was walking away, he was then approached by Mr Mokwena who then instructed him to apologise.”
Mokwena allegedly also threatened to slap the pupil.Steve Mabona, spokesperson for the department, said: “The department is aware of the incident at Glenvista High School where it is alleged that a Mamelodi Sundowns coach manhandled a grade 11 boy learner outside the school premises on Wednesday, 11 October 2023.
“Indeed, an official from the school wrote a letter of complaint to the said football team.”In addition, Mabona said that the department’s psychosocial support team was dispatched to offer necessary support to the affected learner.
SCHOOL BULLY OR THUGGISH BEHAVIOUR?
When the video circulated on social media platform X, the Sundowns Fan Vlog page said that the video is five months old. The vlog account also claimed that Mokwena was disciplining a school bully.
However, football supporters slammed the coach’s reaction, labelling it “thuggish behaviour” – a jab at his 2020 post-match interview whilst at Orlando Pirates.