Zhane Abubakr, recovering from a bullying incident that nearly left him paralysed, says he is receiving death threats.
|||Durban - Shallcross teenager Zhane Abubakr, who is recovering from a bullying incident that nearly left him paralysed, said he was now receiving death threats.
The 18-year-old Marklands Secondary School Grade 11 pupil said on Wednesday he was shocked he was still being targeted after the incident.
Zhane fractured several vertebrae when two schoolmates allegedly performed a dangerous wrestling manoeuvre on him last month, dropping him head first on to concrete paving. He underwent surgery at King Dinuzulu Hospital three weeks ago.
The teenager said he knew who was making the threats.
“They pass threats indirectly, through my girlfriend, saying that they are going to break my legs next and hurt me even more,” he said.
“I’m not worried about them, though.”
A school disciplinary hearing has been scheduled for Monday in connection with the assault, but Zhane said he was not keen on seeing his attackers again, even in a safe environment.
“I am not looking forward to seeing them, and I am not interested in seeing them either,” he said. Zhane said he was feeling much better after the surgery and was surprised at how quickly he was recovering.
“The only problem is waking up in the mornings when it’s cold. I experience a lot of pain on my neck, but it’s okay, I feel better,” he said.
Zhane said he would not return to Marklands.
He said he would be moving from his grandfather’s Shallcross home to Johannesburg, where his parents live.
Zhane’s grandfather, Bobby Moodley, said he was thankful that the teenager was recovering, and thanked everyone who had prayed for him.
“I want to thank the Almighty for answering our prayers, because without Him, I don’t think Zhane would be recovering so well,” he said.
However, he accused the school of dragging its feet in taking action against the alleged perpetrators, a claim denied by the school.
“We know this is a sensitive issue and we are treating it as such,” said principal Anwar Khan.
“We were waiting for Zhane to get better so that he could give his account about what transpired that day. Before then, there is nothing we can do...”
Khan said an independent tribunal had been set up to ensure that the process and outcome would be fair and just.
“We would like to restore justice where all the parties recover from this incident,” he said.
The spokesman for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, Muzi Mahlambi, said the department was also investigating the matter.
Daily News