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A deaf pupil is facing bleak matric exams and a possibility of repeating grade 12 after her hearing aids were damaged when she was splashed with water during Spring Day celebrations.
Mpho Mhlanga, 20, missed school on Wednesday and Thursday during one of the most crucial periods of her academic year, as she is writing her preliminary examinations and taking part in revision sessions at school.
Mpho, from Tzaneen in Limpopo, was on her way home from school when a group of her peers from her neighbourhood splashed her with water, resulting in both her hearing aids being damaged.
Her father Alfred Mhlanga called in to the Clement Manyathela Show on 702 yesterday to highlight her plight.
Speaking to Sowetan, Alfred Mhlanga, said that when Mpho arrived home, the devices were making strange noises. They then dried and recharged them, but that did not work.
“I’m unemployed, and we need to get her new hearing aids. At a public hospital, we will have to wait for at least six months to get new hearing devices. I cannot afford R8,000 to get them at a private institution,” said Mhlanga, who initially called in on 702 before speaking to Sowetan.
The incident has put Mpho’s life on hold.
“She’s devastated. Her classmates are doing revisions, and my child is sitting at home because she can’t hear without the devices. It’s very painful that we have to accept she will not write exams after working so hard since January,” he said.
Mpho was diagnosed with deafness when she was in grade 4, which she repeated twice.
Mhlanga told Sowetan he is caught between a rock and a hard place because the children who damaged his daughter’s hearing aids are neighbours and Mpho usually plays with them.
“I don’t know whether I should open a case or not because these children know about her condition, but they still splashed her with water. Their parents only apologised and said the kids were merely playing.
Andiswa Tube, director at Tube Attorneys in Pretoria, said the family could open a criminal case over the damage to the hearing aids and any other property damaged during the incident. “Everyone has a right to open a criminal case,” Tube said.
She said the fact that the perpetrators are children did not mean their parents’ response that they were merely playing was sufficient. “No, that’s not enough,” she said.
Tube said the family should not rely solely on a criminal case, as the legal process could take a long time and would not provide the immediate assistance the pupil needs.
“As I advised, it is important for those parents, for the benefit of the child, to approach the departments that can actually do something about it, which are the department of health, and education,” she said.
She said the departments had the capacity and resources to assist the pupil in getting a replacement hearing aid while any criminal or civil proceedings were under way.
Tube said the family could also consider a civil claim against the parents of the children responsible for damaging the hearing aids.
The incident was among a string of disturbing incidents reported across Gauteng on Monday, raising questions about whether celebrations once associated with innocent childhood fun are becoming a breeding ground for reckless and violent behaviour.
Videos of children splashing cars and delivery bikes with water have been circulating on social media. In some of the videos, cars could be seen almost ramming onto a group of children while trying to avoid being splashed with water.
Some children even attempted to steal from inside the vehicles they were splashing with water. Delivery bike drivers were also seen falling off their bikes as they tried to avoid charging children.
Tshepang Nyathi, 21, was fatally stabbed during Spring Day celebrations in Refilwe, Cullinan, after an alleged altercation with a 53-year-old man who was splashed with water.
Private security company Tshenolo Private Investigations said three criminal cases have been registered with police in relation to Spring Day incidents brought to their attention, and at least three additional matters are on the way to being formally opened.
The company’s Bongani Sibanyoni said incidents reported to them include alleged theft, bullying, intimidation and physical assault.
“Three [children] are of school-going age and two are slightly older. The alleged perpetrators have been identified and the matter is in the hands of authorities,” Sibanyoni said.
South Africans mark Spring Day on September 1 with a playful water-throwing tradition to welcome the new season, seen here as a township crowd drenches a passing bus with buckets.’ pic.twitter.com/BztQReRWPt
— Standfit X (@odunay_official) September 2, 2026
Sibanyoni urged other victims and witnesses to come forward to get assistance in formally reporting the incidents. − Additional reporting by TimesLIVE
The outcome of spring day resulted in two of our buses out of operation effect from today. Our kids and community went overboard and damaged assets that serves them leaving over 300 passengers today of which many are pupils/students. pic.twitter.com/z0FCD6lzHk
— Tshwane Bus Service (@Tshwanebus2) September 2, 2026
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