Bullies always operate in groups: Expert

Senior Counsellor at Love Life, Malebo Makgaka, says people who are bullies always work in groups.

She describes this as the first sign of collective bullying.

Makgaka was reacting to the recent developments in Lesego Peka’s fight for justice for her baby, Kaone, who died under questionable circumstances.

Following the successful exhuming of Kaone’s remains, she now finds herself in the middle of another battle.

She alleges that she’s now been bullied by a group of people, who had made donations to her quest for justice.

Despite this, however, Peka says she will not let people shut her up through a funded smear campaign.

She suspects that her alleged bullies were brought close to her to fish for information.

The women in the eye of the storm have meanwhile rejected Peka’s allegations.

Michelle Kopper is one of them and denies suggestions that they might have had an ulterior motive in assisting the grieving young mother.

 

Makgaka says it’s important that people keep in mind that congregational support doesn’t always come from a good place.

“There are people who always support others with certain intent that might not be for the benefit of the intended person who is being assisted but for their benefit.”

The counsellor says it is equally as important for people to be cognisant of the fact that once you seek support on public platforms, one will have to account to the people assisting or offering the support.

Makgaka, however, says the manner of approach when seeking accountability is highly important.

“Certain behaviours and languages are inappropriate and cannot be tolerated.”

She adds that there’s a thin line between being a bully and standing one’s ground.