A father of a five-year-old boy has been legally barred from entering or coming within 100 metres of Hendrik Louw Primary School in Strand, Cape Town, after the Western Cape High Court found him guilty of intimidation and bullying towards school staff.

The father — who can't be named to protect his child's identity — has also been ordered to stop threatening, harassing, or communicating in any way with school staff. This includes all platforms and formats.

The trouble started at the end of January this year. According to the court, the father — a 140kg businessman who described himself as an "overbearing person" — launched a campaign of belittling and intimidating the school principal. He threatened the principal with violence and even threatened to shut the school down. He also targeted the school governing body and aftercare staff.

The dispute began over the care of his son, who has type 1 diabetes and needs constant attention. The father felt the school wasn't doing enough. But the court made it clear: this case was about the father's conduct, not his son's medical needs.

High Court Judge Derek Wille noted that the father told staff he had consulted five advocates who gave him opinions on his rights. He also claimed a "judge" was his business partner and was helping him with his case. When pressed, he changed his story, saying the partner was actually a magistrate.

"The respondent stated that he would exert pressure on the applicants because his 'business partner' is a 'judge' of the High Court. When pressed on this issue, he changed his version," said Judge Wille.

The school staff argued that the father's behaviour was "extremely unpredictable" and that they needed protection. They said he made serious threats, harassed them, and was guilty of severe grandstanding. One teacher suffers from severe anxiety as a result of his behaviour.

In his defence, the father filed a series of complaints but offered no real legal defence. He admitted to making unnecessary and unwarranted comments but gave no acceptable reasons.

Judge Wille was particularly concerned that the father refused to give an undertaking to stop his behaviour. "There is no evidence to suggest he will change his behaviour, especially given that the respondent says he is an atomic bomb that will explode," the judge said in his judgment.

The final interdict was granted. The school and its legal counsel declined to comment when approached.

  • Father weighs 140kg and is a businessman
  • His son is a five-year-old with type 1 diabetes
  • He threatened to close the school and harm the principal
  • He claimed a High Court judge was his business partner, then changed it to a magistrate
  • The court found his behaviour "extremely unpredictable"
  • He called himself an "atomic bomb that will explode"
  • Final interdict bans him from coming within 100m of the school