Bay primary school a ‘gangster’s paradise’
● Heavily armed police monitor volatile situation after children run rampant and threaten teachers
Staff at Cedarberg Primary School in Booysen Park are at their wits’ end as pupils run rampant, join gangs, threaten the teachers and classmates, and allegedly hide guns and sell dagga on school grounds.
The situation has escalated to the point where heavily armed police have been called upon to patrol the premises and monitor the ticking time bomb.
Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge confirmed that officers had been deployed to the school to keep an eye on the situation.
Yesterday morning, a large crowd of parents protested outside the school, calling for its immediate closure.
They said they feared for their children’s safety.
However, school continued as usual for those willing to attend.
Principal Saajidah Cerfontein said at least six pupils, some as young as 12, were believed to be part of a gang which operated in Gqeberha’s northern areas.
“They are supposedly affiliated with this gang and they are wreaking havoc at the school,” she said.
“Spiders are being thrown at teachers, dagga is being brought to school, and the kids and teachers are being bullied.
“The situation is extremely volatile.”
She said the school had been built to accommodate 750 pupils, but they were now sitting with a headcount of 1,160.
“Under the strain of overcrowding, we’re now grappling with an issue I inherited when I joined the school at the beginning of last year,” she said.
“In my notebook, I document each transgression alphabetically, revealing a troubling array of offences.
“These include a child verbally abusing a teacher, another bringing dagga to school, one bullying a peer and others disrupting classes.
“The list goes on but I am not aware of anyone bringing a gun to school,” she said, responding to claims from several parents who alleged their children had seen the firearms.
“Despite my efforts to address these issues, suspensions prove ineffective as students return by jumping the fence.”
Cerfontein said the lives of pupils allegedly affiliated to gangs were in danger.
“The fact that some of these pupils live independently is exacerbating the situation.
“The roots of these challenges often trace back to their socioeconomic backgrounds, trapping them in the world of gangs from birth.”
Beetge said a decision had been reached to station police members at the school until the volatile situation was brought under control.
“On Friday, we received complaints of children leaping over fences and parents protesting outside the school,” he said.
“The police were summoned to control the situation.
“On arrival, parents were picketing at the gate, the situation was chaotic and marked by a distressing level of aggression. This [yesterday] morning, parents once again assembled, prompting the intervention of the police, and a decision was reached to station them there until the situation is under control.
“They are now monitoring the situation.”
Beetge said the matter extended beyond gangs causing havoc at the school.
“Grievances include issues with bathroom facilities and allegations that the principal seemingly turns a blind eye to the misconduct of the pupils,” he said.
“Children involved in various criminal activities are now facing legal consequences in the children’s court.
“This situation goes beyond the surface, with complaints extending to the overall administration of the school.
“Any instance of aggression outside the school premises will prompt police intervention daily.”
One of the parents, who did not want to be named, said
the school was a “gangster’s paradise”.
“Our children are not safe here,” the mother said.
“How can they be safe when kids are [allegedly] running around with guns in the school?
“We are not happy and we want those kids removed.”
Another parent said her child was being bullied.
“The gangsters are threatening my child and they do as they please. They’re violent,” the parent said.
“Something needs to be done and we will picket until the matter has been resolved.”
A third parent said their woes ran deeper than just safety concerns.
“The bathrooms are in a horrible condition,” she said.
“We were told by our kids there are guns in the roof, they’re hiding them there and peddling drugs on the school premises.”
Cerfontein took the reporter on a tour of the school.
The restrooms had been badly vandalised, with graffiti, including gang signs, covering the walls and a foul smell in the air.
Taps and basins had been stripped and tiles knocked out.
Though the tour revealed there were sufficient restrooms, with separate facilities for boys and girls, Cerfontein said: “The boys vandalise the restrooms, which is why they look like this.
“No matter what we do, they persist in vandalising them.”
Addressing parents outside the school later, she was peppered with questions as to why she had allegedly failed to deal with problem children.
She responded that she dealt with problematic pupils swiftly, and that there was a system in place.
Cerfontein said she had an open-door policy and welcomed consultations with any concerned parent or bullied child.
She said she was a mother too and therefore understood their concerns.
Eastern Cape education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said the department was aware of the issues raised by the parents.
He said pupils found disrupting school activity on Friday and yesterday were sent home to their parents with a warning from the police.
“The matter is being managed by the school management team,” he said.
Mtima did not comment on the other allegations.