Gang sparks fear in schools

FEAR is engulfing schools in townships as a criminal gang seem to target staff and police unable to apprehend the culprits.

The provincial education department has offered a reward but it has yielded no results yet.

This week three teachers from ACJ Phakade Primary School in Nomzamo, Strand, were hijacked at gunpoint as they arrived.

Almost a month ago, four schools in the Khayelitsha and Gugulethu areas were robbed at gunpoint: Ummangaliso Primary in Site B, Khayelitsha, Intshayelelo Primary in Lingelethu West, Lwandle Primary in Lingelethu West and Vukukhanye Primary in Gugulethu.

At the time the provincial education department put up a reward of up to R10 000 for information.

Teachers and principals at these schools said they regard their work environment as the most dangerous in the world and pupils also live in fear. ACJ Phakade Primary principal Thobile Majingo said the hijacking incident brought trauma and shock to the school.

“We are not safe in our schools. The department of education must do something,” said Majingo.

“We bought CCTV cameras, which shows the perpetrators entering the gate, but our cameras are cheap quality and we cannot identify these criminals.”