MEC faces anger after pupil stabbed

Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane was met by a tough crowd of disgruntled parents following an alleged stabbing incident at a school in Ennerdale, south of Johannesburg.

Chiloane, accompanied by provincial department spokesperson Steve Mabona, visited the Oakdale Secondary School yesterday after a Grade 8 boy was reportedly stabbed to death.

According to the Gauteng department of education, the pupil was allegedly stabbed after a fight broke out outside the school’s premises on Thursday.

A Grade 10 pupil was also injured and is currently in hospital.

It is further alleged that the incident was influenced by prevalent gang violence among pupils from different schools in the area.

Community members of Ennerdale staged demonstrations outside the school as Chiloane arrived, demanding that Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga come to the area.

“The minister must come here, not the MEC. Our child died,” one resident said.

Other residents were heard shouting: “Enough is enough.”

One parent told Chiloane that the ANC government was “doing nothing” and was “failing to protect our kids”.

Chiloane told parents that the provincial department would strengthen security at the school.

“The first thing we will be doing [is] deploying security here for 24 hours, over 10 [security guards] between the two shifts. At night, we will also be dispatching a dog.”

He also said there would be a security upgrade to the school’s infrastructure.

“We will be fixing the infrastructure… there was an issue raised [about] the fence. The fence will be erected from Monday... but, please, when that fence is built, let’s protect that fence. Let’s not allow it to be stolen.”

The MEC further indicated that the department would address the issue of an inadequate number of teachers.

“We are dealing with it. We will be dispatching mobile [schools] to deal with the pressure. Because we are finalising a satellite school in Lawley, we will be removing quite some kids from this school and other schools that we have identified into that satellite school to ease the pressure here.”

Speaking to reporters, Chiloane said such incidents were of concern to the department.

The MEC urged parents to work with the school.

“Discipline can only be learned at home. Parents have left that to schools and we have problems with that because now these kids were fighting in school, but we were able to control it.”

Chiloane said the security measures won’t be permanent.