A website that offers payment for footage of school fights was condemned by the department of basic education on Thursday.<\/p>\n
“We view this website as a vulgar glorification of violence,” spokeswoman Troy Martens said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The website, schoolfights.co.za, invites people to submit videos: “Have a video of a school fight? It might be worth some money!”.<\/p>\n
It contains videos of fights, including those tagged “Two SA schoolboys fight over a cheating girlfriend” and “You won’t BELIEVE what these Afrikaans girls do to their fat classmate!”.<\/p>\n
On Thursday The Star carried a report on the website. Later in the day the website posted an announcement.<\/p>\n
“Please note that we are unable to pay for fight videos involving minors! Fights between two or more consenting adults, however, will still be considered.”<\/p>\n
Almost 1000 people have “liked” the website on Facebook.<\/p>\n
Martens said: “Through this website and the Facebook page linked to it, learners are being incentivised to commit violent acts and encouraged to submit content.”<\/p>\n
The department said it would report the website to the relevant authorities in an effort to get it shut down.<\/p>\n
“Such acts should never be encouraged especially considering the efforts being taken by the department to address bullying and to rid our schools of violence.”<\/p>\n
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