Pupils drive ‘rude’ principal away
THE principal of New Eisleben High School had to flee from hundreds of pupils yesterday as they went on a rampage, vandalising classrooms, throwing stones at teachers’ cars and destroying toilets and plumbing fixtures.
The rampaging pupils at the school in New Crossroads said they wanted the principal, Pat Mazimena, out of the school.
“We’re tired of the principal. He’s rude and does not respect our parents. He chased a number of students from school. He does not care about other teachers, we want him to leave,” said a pupil who asked not to be named.
The protest turned into a riot later in the day, with stones being thrown at cars in the parking lot owned by teachers, windows being shattered and bodywork dented.
Stones were also thrown at a press photographer’s car and the radio stolen.
It would appear the protest was hijacked by pupils who aimed to destroy property.
Pupil Sanelisile Kroqo said the protest was planned on Tuesday. “When we got to school in the morning some of the students went inside. A small group started a protest outside. They got inside (and started) throwing stones at those who were inside. They broke the school gate… demanding we go outside the school to protest,” said Kroqo.
Some pupils who had been expelled from the school for being involved in teen gangs had joined in the protest.
“They vandalised
the school, stealing school computers. They left everything upside down.”
Bronagh Casey, spokeswoman for Western Cape Edu- cation Department MEC Donald Grant, said pupils threw stones, breaking windows and destroying computers.
The motor from the school gate had been “torn from its hinges and books in the storeroom were strewn across the floor”.
Teachers had
also been threatened, but “the reasons for the disruption are still unclear”.
The department had requested that teachers return to school today, and had arranged for trauma counselling. It would “do all it can” to ensure teaching and learning continued today.