The ministers of education and safety and security have been asked to investigate claims that several school pupils on the Wild Coast were sjambokked by police officers, the Mercury newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The beatings allegedly happened at the Xolobeni Junior Secondary School, south of Port Edward, because of the pupils' opposition to an Australian dune-mining venture.

Democratic Alliance spokesperson Gareth Morgan said he had submitted several questions on the affair to Education Minister Naledi Pandor and Safety and Security minister Nathi Mthethwa.

"The DA has learned that members of the police arrived at the school on 17 September and sjambokked several pupils. It is alleged that the police were invited to the school by the principal to administer discipline as pupils had become involved in protest action against the awarding of a mining licence."

If the licence was granted, several pupils from the school and their families would have to relocate, Morgan said.

The Independent Complaints Directorate confirmed it was investigating the allegations.

Sapa