Three pupils due in court
Trio accused of stabbing schoolmate to death to face charges today
THREE pupils aged 16 to 18 from Hillcrest Secondary in Mossel Bay, accused of stabbing a fellow pupil to death, will appear on a charge of murder in the Mossel Bay Magistrate’s Court today.
According to police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie, the trio allegedly stabbed 16-year-old Khuselo Ndanda, a Grade 9 pupil, on the school premises during the first break on Monday. He died on his way to the hospital. “Shortly after the incident, the accused fled the scene by jumping over the school fence. They were arrested on Monday night.
“All three attend the same school and one is a matric pupil,” Pojie said.
Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson Bronagh Hammond confirmed the incident.
She said the pupils and educators who witnessed it were traumatised and had received counselling support.
“This incident came after learners were informed of the death of another Grade 8 learner who had attended the school previously in the first half of the year.
“She was allegedly murdered in a house robbery. Counselling was also provided that morning to learners.
“This is the first incident this year of a learner being fatally wounded as a result of violence on school grounds. Sadly, it’s not the first incident of violence in our schools,” Hammond said.
She said the WCED was committed to ensuring quality education, and a safe learning environment was a critical requirement for quality teaching and learning to take place. Violence was unacceptable and concerning.
“The WCED implements strategies to address school violence and safety. Unfortunately, many of the risks are a result of community and gang violence which affects the safety environment of our schools.
“Addressing these issues goes beyond our mandate and control.
“We do, however, acknowledge that we have a role to play, specifically addressing the behaviour of our learners in terms of conflict management, substance abuse awareness and security infrastructure,” Hammond said.
To help prevent gang violence seeping further into schools, an inter-ministerial committee on the National Anti-Gangsterism Strategy was initiated. It comprises the MECs of Education, Community Safety, Social Development, Sports and Culture, and senior representatives from the SAPS, the National Prosecuting Authority, the Department of Justice, Correctional Services and City law enforcement.
“The objective of the committee is to bring together all role-players to discuss improved mechanisms to decrease gang-related crime and to develop strategies to support our youth in order to prevent them from participating in gangsterism themselves,” Hammond said.