All schools were closed on Monday morning in Tsakane, Ekurhuleni, following protests at several of them over the tragic death of a pupil.
Gauteng Education MEC Mr Panyaza Lesufi visited Tsakane Secondary School following the death of 14-year-old Nhlanhla Tshabalala, who died after he was allegedly assaulted by a teacher and a caretaker on Tuesday last week.
According to reports, Tshabalala had gone to the school carrying a toy gun to retrieve his backpack and cellphone, after they were taken by a group of boys who ganged up on him the day before. When he arrived, the caretaker and teacher immediately identified him from the previous day and chased him away.
When the Grade Nine pupil, from Reshogofaditswe Secondary School, demanded his books, the teacher and caretaker allegedly assaulted him with a golf stick.
In a video that has since gone viral, a man – identified as a teacher – and a caretaker at the school can be seen wrestling Shabalala and pinning his body to the ground.
Addressing the media outside Tshabalala’s home, Lesufi said an independent law firm will be appointed to probe the incident and the alleged assault by a school teacher and a groundsman.
“The family is rejecting the report of the school; they feel that there are a lot of limitations and unexplained things. On that basis, I will then advise the department to appoint an independent firm to... interview all the affected people and give me a preliminary report so that I can give it to the family.”
Lesufi further stated that the school had confirmed there was a scuffle in which the teacher and the caretaker were trying to retrieve a toy gun from a pupil.
“The family of the deceased learner blames the school and they strongly believe that their child was seriously harmed and injured during the scuffle. However, according to the school, after retrieving the gun they called the police and handed over the learner to the police,” Lesufi said.
Gauteng education spokesperson Steve Mabona told reporters outside Tsakane Secondary School it was unfair and selfish of adults involved in the protest to disrupt schools in the area, as pupils had already lost curriculum time due to Covid-19.
“The disruption of schooling in the entire Tsakane area, which is led by adults because of this incident, is selfish and unfair. We are [emerging] from the pandemic and schools have lost curriculum time; why must we disrupt all schools in the area because of the incident that needed to be attended. We didn’t say we are not going to attend [to] this matter ,” Mabona said.
An inquest docket has been opened and police are investigating.
IOL