Student suspended from Cape Town school for “slave auction” (VIDEO)

Following outcry over an alleged racist incident, several students at Pinelands High School were suspended from class.

According to eNCA, the students have been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation into an alleged “auction” of black students at the school recently.

Students at Pinelands High School allegedly locked black classmates in a cage and pretended to auction them off to the highest bidder.

READ ALSO: “Slave auction” at a Cape Town school: More and more voices demand that “racist” students be suspended from classes (VIDEO)

They cost upwards of R100,000 and became the “property” of other students who “bought” them. A video of the “slave auction” was widely shared on the internet, but contains images of minors and has therefore not been included in this article.

“They locked black boys in a cage”

An unnamed mother told News24 that her son fought back when other students allegedly tried to “auction” him.

“They picked up black boys and put them in the cage. It’s not like they left voluntarily,” she said.

Investigation initiated

The Western Cape Provincial Department of Education expressed concern about the incident and said it had conducted interviews with the students involved.

ALSO READ: 12 Gauteng high school students suspended for allegedly racist WhatsApp chat

Spokeswoman Bronagh Hammond said students would be offered counselling at the school.

Sadtu calls for action

Sadtu Secretary General Mugwena Maluleke said the incident must be condemned.

“As a community, we must stand together and build a united nation so that we can succeed.

“I fully agree with parents in the community that the students should be suspended. This is necessary so that the investigations can continue,” he told eNCA.

WATCH: Sadtu’s reaction to the alleged racist incident at school

12 people suspended from a Johannesburg school for allegedly racist chats

The incident occurred just days after 12 students at Pretoria High School for Girls were excluded from classes for allegedly sending racist text messages.

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The white students are said to have created an ethnically exclusive WhatsApp group in which they allegedly exchanged “racist microaggressions” about other students.

“The conversations allegedly included racist comments about the ongoing dissatisfaction of black students with the problems they faced at school and alluded to the fact that these problems were insignificant,” said Steve Mabona, spokesman for the Gauteng Department of Education.

Additional reporting by Jarryd Westerdale