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Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
TEN Form One pupils at Milton High School in Bulawayo have been hospitalised following a brutal “blooding” ceremony called a “war cry” during which they were stoned and beaten by senior pupils.

Senior pupils allegedly went on a bullying orgy, stoning and pummelling the hapless Form Ones on Thursday at about 10AM.

The United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) resembled a battlefield clinic after pupils, some of whom reportedly suffered multiple fractures and dislocations, were rushed to the casualty ward.

A pupil who survived the attack said: “It started after 10AM. The Form Fours and Upper Sixes started throwing stones at us. Although I was hit I didn’t report, I think I’m fine.”

School officials who declined to be named told The Chronicle Form Fours and Upper Sixes went on a rampage attacking Form One pupils during an illegal “war cry” which was not sanctioned by school authorities.

The Milton “war cry” is used mainly at sporting events to rally whatever team is involved.

It was banned years ago after a realisation that Form Ones were being bullied in the process of teaching them to sing it.

“The seniors beat up the juniors at around 10AM and the pupils were detained at the hospital until late last night,” said an official the school who declined to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

On Thursday evening, The Chronicle witnessed pupils being attended to at the UBH’s Emergency Casualty Department.

They were being assisted by a teacher who declined to comment saying she was not cleared to speak to the Press.

“I’m just a teacher. As you know I’m not allowed to comment in the Press. Go talk to the senior school officials,” she said.

The news crew observed that some of the pupils had undergone X-ray scanning.

One teacher was overheard telling one of the pupils that he was likely to get a plaster because his fracture was serious. Later during the day, angry parents converged at the hospital.

One of the parents said it was sad that children were beaten up to the extent of being hospitalised while in school.

“I was horrified when I heard my son had been hospitalised with fractures. We don’t even know what transpired, we’re still waiting for them to come from the doctors,” said the concerned parent.

Some of the pupils were released on Thursday to the custody of their parents at about 6:15PM.

The Provincial Education Director Dan Moyo yesterday said the matter had not been reported to his office.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango said they were investigating the matter.

“We received a report of assault and bullying involving Milton pupils and investigations are underway. We’ll engage their parents because this case involves juveniles. We don’t deal directly with juveniles,” said Insp Simango.

A former Miltonian, Bongani Ndlovu, said the school should find better ways of controlling pupils instead of banning a tradition at the school.

“There is no school without a war cry. Banning it doesn’t help the situation. That’s why Milton is performing dismally in sporting disciplines from tennis to rugby,” he said.

Ndlovu said the school staff should device a method of controlling the “war cry”.

“I blame the headmaster and his staff. They should monitor the war cry. That’s what was done back in the day. The headmaster and teachers monitored the war cry to ensure that no junior was bullied,” he said.

Several cases of bullying have been reported at Milton High School.

In 2013, a pupil at the school lost one of his testicles after a bully grabbed and twisted it until it exploded.

Last year another pupil from Milton was involved in a fist-fight with a teacher.

The pupil was expelled from the school.

Milton High School pupils were the main culprits at recent “Vuzu parties” where drugs and alcohol-fuelled sex orgies were rampant.