Boy Kills Himself on WayHome fromSchool/Teacher Mocked for Being Gay
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| The bubbly gay teen was bullied at school and in his community (Photos: supplied) |
JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng education department is investigating allegations that homophobic comments from a Soweto school teacher prompted a grade 9 pupil to commit suicide.
The department has confirmed that a PJ Simelane secondary school pupil took his own life earlier this week after allegedly being mocked by his teacher over his sexuality.
The teacher at PJ Simelane secondary school in Dobsonville is facing accusations that she made fun of the learner’s sexuality in front of the whole class.
Eyewitness News can confirm the teacher in question is female and the incident happened during a speech presentation session.
The student is believed to have been a boy who identified himself as gay, which is what the teacher ended up making the lesson about.
When the school closed for the day, the learner decided not to return to school and took his own life at home.
The department of education said they have met with both the school and the family of the learner.
Spokesperson Steve Mabona said a thorough investigation is now in full swing to find out what happened.
“There are allegations which we are ready to continue to investigate as a department. We will make sure we investigate those allegations and report at a later stage on the outcome thereof.’’
Editing, Adamfoxie
Mamba on Line
Article by Luiz De Barros
A family has been left devastated by the suicide of 14-year-old Mpho Falithenjwa in Orange Farm, South of Johannesburg after he was bullied for being gay.
Mpho’s heartbroken sister, Thando, confirmed to MambaOnline that Mpho had taken his own life by poison on the second of June. She reveals that he left a letter saying his goodbyes to the family and describing how he wanted to be buried. Thando is convinced that Mpho committed suicide as a result of being bullied over his LGBTQ identity. The teenager proudly described himself as “certified gay” on his Facebook profile.
“Yes that was the main reason, and maybe he became scared because people will judge him,” Thando says. “He was bullied and was being called names on the streets. There was an incident that happened at school where a classmate called him ‘isitabane’ [an anti-gay slur].”
In a Facebook profile post on 28 May, Mpho commented, “Def At My Lowest… But I’ll Surely Bounce Back” along with sad and crying emojis. In another post, he wrote: “I have been discriminated [against] many times, both in the community and school. But I told myself that I’m strong and should not allow negativity to break me apart.” Mpho urged those “who are afraid of coming out” to “be yourself and never live your life for anyone else.” He added: “Life is too short therefore enjoy who you are and what you do in life. Do not care what other people say… do not live a lie.”
“He was a very intelligent boy, forever smiling…”
LGBTIQ+ students often face discrimination and bullying in schools in South Africa. According to a 2016 report by OUT LGBT Well-being, 56% of LGBT South Africans surveyed said they’d experienced discrimination based on their sexuality or gender identity while attending school.
Mpho’s family has been shattered by the tragic loss of the bubbly teenager. “He was a very intelligent boy, forever smiling. It was fun to be around him,” says Thando. “He liked to sing a lot and he was playful. Mpho was a gift indeed, very humble and reserved.”
If she were able to send a message to her brother, “I would say to Mpho, ‘you’re my never wanna lose’ because that’s what he used to tell me.” She believes that other LGBTQ teens who might also be facing bullying should “accept and love who they are because they are God’s creation.”
Mpho will be buried on Saturday, with mourners requested to wear “star white with a touch of a rainbow”, just as he asked them to in his final letter.
While there is limited information in South Africa, The Trevor Project, an American LGBTQ teen suicide prevention group, states that “LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers.” A 2020 Ghanaian study also found that LGBT adolescents reported a vastly higher rate of self-harm during the previous 12 months (44.6%) compared to heterosexual teens (16.2%).
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group runs the country’s only Suicide Crisis Line. If you are having thoughts of suicide please call 0800 567 567 at any time, day or night.
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