South Africa's rugby powerhouse Siya Kolisi has helped a young school boy change his fate from victim to victor.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi is not just a formidable force in the “blood, sweat and tears” world of international Test rugby.
As he continues to dodge life’s many curveballs, the humble rugby icon has also served as a steadfast source of inspiration to our nation.
Recently, Kolisi was “there like a bear” to jump on a video call and assist 10-year-old Darren “MacGyver” Tika to rise above his bullying ordeal at school.
This was after the relentless harassment took its toll on the Cape Town learner’s academic performance and led to him skipping classes frequently.
Community worker Dylan Graham from NGO Cope with Hope helped expose the bullying, while TriggrGood charity’s Nikita van Rensburg arranged the call to remind the Grade 4 learner that “he is seen, appreciated and supported”.
‘I’m coming’: Bok hero Siya Kolisi puts his boot down on bullying
The burly Bok flanker’s intervention has since paved the way for Darren’s transformation from victim to victor.
In the video shared on Instagram, Kolisi addresses Darren directly during a live call with his classmates from Healthfield Primary School. The Springbok leader warned the bullies sternly, saying: “MacGyver, you must tell those boys or those kids at school who are bullying you – I’m coming. I’m going to come say hello to them. I’m going to deal with them.”
This powerful message was coupled with a valuable life lesson for Darren.
“But stay strong, be yourself, and don’t be scared of anything.”
‘Siya’s star child’
The results were truly remarkable. Just three months later, Darren’s mother – calling him “Siya’s star child” – reported that his marks had doubled and that he had only missed two days of school during the term.
A before-and-after glimpse of his report card in the video highlighted the boy’s confidence, proving the profound effect a powerful role model’s words can have.
Darren himself expressed his gratitude to “Captain Fantastic” in the video clip:
“I want to thank Siya Kolisi for stopping the bullying.”
‘I was also barefoot and poor’ – Siya Kolisi
As for why Darren’s story resonated with him, Kolisi told Rapport that he grew up in Zwide township, in Gqeberha.
“Like Darren, I also come from a township and was also barefoot and poor. At the time, I did other children’s homework so that I could get their sandwiches to eat,” the celebrated rugby player told the publication.
“I know what it’s like to feel alone, and I wanted to remind Darren that, as a child from the township, he can also achieve great things.”
Siya Kolisi’s broader role as mentor
Kolisi’s compassion extends beyond this incident, embodying his commitment to mentoring our country’s younger generations by drawing from his own journey to global stardom.
Earlier this year, the South African rugby powerhouse took time out for a “bonding session” with rising Junior Springbok star Bathobele “Batho” Hlekani, who also hails from Zwide.
Hlekani, who helped the Junior Boks win the U20 World Cup and trained with the senior team under coach Rassie Erasmus, represents the next wave of South African rugby heroes.
The two rugby players tucked into a traditional feast of amanqina (cow heels) in Cape Town, followed by a shopping outing.
‘We represent South Africa’
Kolisi’s Instagram post celebrated their heritage:
“Children of Mgquba, from Zwide, Emsengeni and African Bombers – today we represent South Africa, God is powerful ❤️🙏🏾.”
Fans praised his leadership, with one commenting: “Proper mentorship done right! Take a bow Cap!”
Alarming statistics: Siya Kolisi joins collective effort to address bullying
By tackling his young fan’s bullying ordeal head-on, Kolisi’s intervention highlights the need for collective action to address the alarming scourge of bullying in South African schools.
The latest available statistics on the prevalence of bullying paint a bleak picture:
- Over 3.2 million learners in South Africa experience bullying each year.
- More than 67% of bullied children never seek help, believing it won’t make a difference.
- 90% of bullying incidents are perpetrated by learners themselves.
- Each day, 160,000 high school learners skip school to avoid bullying.
- 1 in 10 learners leave school altogether due to bullying.
- 16% of learners report being victims of cyberbullying.
National School Safety Framework: What the DBE has done so far
In response to the nationwide crisis, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) had implemented programmes to curb bullying in addition to developing the National School Safety Framework (NSSF).
According to the department, the NSSF empowers schools to identify and manage all forms of violent incidents at schools (including bullying), as well as to establish safety committees.
The DBE has also been promoting the use of Section 2(4) of the Protection from Harassment Act which empowers children to apply for a protection order without their parents’ help.
Support and collaboration
The success of this framework, however, depends on the collaboration of teachers, parents, school governing bodies (SGBs), pupils, and government officials, says Professor Melanie Moen, an educational psychologist at Stellenbosch University.
“Unfortunately, teachers often feel unsupported by the government when facing challenges such as resource shortages or dealing with violent incidents in schools,” Moen was quoted as saying by Health-E-News.
To further assist in tackling bullying, Moen has developed an app, Ava South Africa, to help parents, schools, and learners reduce violence and abuse.
“Educators and students can use the app as a support tool. It maps out support organisations in different communities,” she said.
