24/04/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
23 April 2025
MEDIA STATEMENT: ANC YOUTH LEAGUE FREE STATE PROVINCE ON THE TRAGIC PASSING OF MBALI MLABA DUE TO BULLYING
The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in the Free State expresses its deepest condolences and unwavering solidarity with the Mlaba family following the tragic passing of 13-year-old Mbali Mlaba, a learner at Vulindela Primary School in Harrismith. Mbali’s untimely death — the result of relentless bullying — has shaken our collective conscience and exposed the dangerous silence and indifference that continue to prevail in our basic education system.
On 02 April 2025, a high-level delegation led by the Provincial Chairperson and Provincial Secretary of the ANCYL visited the grieving Mlaba family to convey our heartfelt sympathies and reaffirm our commitment to justice for Mbali. What the family relayed was disturbing: repeated cries for help were ignored by school authorities. Mbali had pleaded to be transferred and refused to attend school during test week due to the torment she endured. Yet, the system — school leadership turned a blind eye. It failed her. It failed her family. It failed all of us.
The ANCYL further visited Vulindela Primary School to assess the institution’s policies and responses regarding bullying. The absence of a comprehensive anti-bullying programme and the sheer nonchalance of the principal — who shamefully admitted to taking the matter "lightly" — is not only an indictment on school leadership but a painful reminder of institutional failure. We reject this gross negligence with the contempt it deserves.
Restoring Accountability and a Culture of Safety
While we acknowledge the intervention of the Department of Education and commend the psychological support offered to affected learners and educators, it remains grossly inadequate in the face of systemic dysfunction. Similarly, the Department of Social Development's limited anti-bullying initiatives must be transformed into a province-wide campaign, implemented in close collaboration with the Department of Education. These programmes must focus on learner protection, mental health awareness, and ensuring that teacher and administrative accountability is embedded into every school structure.
LEVERAGING CHILD AND YOUTH CARE SERVICES FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE
We reiterate our demand for urgent collaboration between the Department of Education, the Department of Social Development, and the South African Council for Social Service Professions, particularly the Professional Board of Child and Youth Care Work. These professionals are critical in safeguarding the cognitive, emotional, and psychological development of our learners and yet remain sidelined across many public institutions. It is time for this to change.
POLICY REFORM: CHILD AND YOUTH CARE WORKERS MUST BE DEPLOYED IN SCHOOLS
We call for the immediate development of a provincial policy — in partnership with the Professional Board for Child & Youth Care — to mandate the permanent placement of trained youth care workers in all public schools. These professionals must be visible and accessible in classrooms, corridors, and schoolyards — anywhere learners need protection, guidance, and support.
THE ABSENCE OF COSAS AND THE CRISIS OF YOUTH FORMATION
The ANCYL also expresses grave concern about the alarming absence of COSAS (Congress of South African Students) in our schools — an organization historically positioned as a preparatory platform for youth political education and a gateway into the Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA). The PYA, when active and grounded, serves as a vital consciousness-raising structure that educates and mobilizes young people to confront social injustices and resist the toxification of their learning spaces.
The silence of COSAS, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, has left a vacuum in scholar political development and awareness. It is COSAS that must be leading anti-bullying campaigns, uniting scholar communities, and equipping learners to defend one another in solidarity. Its absence is both a political and educational crisis. We therefore resolve, with urgency and conviction, to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to rebuild a vibrant and militant PYA across the Free State. This includes reactivating COSAS as a revolutionary entry point for youth political activism, capable of curbing the intrusion of moral decay and institutional apathy.
MBALI’S DEATH MUST IGNITE A MOVEMENT
Mbali Mlaba’s life was precious. Her passing must not be a footnote in a report or a momentary outrage on social media. It must become a rallying point for real, transformative change. We owe it to Mbali, to her family, and to the thousands of learners who remain vulnerable in our schools.
The ANC Youth League in the Free State commits itself to the fight for safe, dignified, and empowering learning environments. We will not relent. We will not forget. And we will not forgive institutional complacency that enables the death of our children.
Issued by the ANC Youth League Free State
Jackson Mthembu
Provincial Secretary
For media enquiries and further information, contact
Thenjiwe Zapi
Provincial Spokesperson
069 8111 446
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