Bullying has been identified as the reason for the stabbing to death of a pupil by a fellow pupil at a Limpopo school on Wednesday.

The incident happened at Xihoko village outside Tzaneen‚ where a 17-year-old pupil allegedly used a sharp instrument to stab another pupil of the same age to death. Both boys were pupils at Gwambeni High School.

 The victim was stabbed in the left side of the neck on Wednesday afternoon at around 3.45pm.

 Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said the victim‚ identified as Wester Mhlongo‚ 17‚ was walking from school when he engaged in an argument with his schoolmate and a fight broke out. He said the other boy‚ also aged 17‚ stabbed Mhlongo “with a sharp instrument” and he bled profusely.

“The victim was taken to the Nyavana Clinic where he was certified dead on arrival‚” said Ngoepe.

He said the boy who stabbed the victim was arrested and would appear in the Ritavi Magistrate’s Court on Friday on a charge of murder.

Naledzani Rasila‚ spokesman for the provincial department of education‚ expressed his shock at the incident.

“We condemn the incident in the strongest possible terms. These types of incidents takes us a step back in our endeavour to produce future leaders‚” said Rasila.

“And we believe the law will take its course in terms of further investigations‚” he said.

Provincial secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers Union‚ Matome Raphasha‚ said the incident was a “wake-up” call to the department to intensify security in schools.

“Our worry is that we always talk about these things and later forget until another incident comes in. It’s high time that we must ensure that both teachers and pupils are secured in schools‚” said Raphasha.

Police investigations are continuing.