The Peddie-based children’s right organisation, Khula Development Community Project has threatened to take legal action against the Eastern Cape Education Department if it drags its feet in investigating the latest murder incident at a public school.
This follows the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Anathi Mbotyana allegedly by a 16-year-old classmate at Nathaniel Pamla School in Peddie in the Eastern Cape last week.
It’s alleged the victim was stabbed while trying to resolve a conflict between the suspect and another learner over a missing cellphone.
Director of the organisation, Petros Majola, has sent a letter to the department requesting an investigation as soon as possible.
Majola says the department must install a device that detects dangerous weapons in school premises.
“Where was there an educator during this time? Because the incidents happened in a class room, during schools hours which means the educator was not there. Have there been the educator in the classroom to monitor these children I don’t think these children would have started the fight and end up killing each other. And now we are calling the department of education, ‘let us settle this thing in a good manner.’ But it looks like they are moving at a snail’s pace. But if they are not doing it, we have to go the court of law so that they can be compelled by a court order to do what we were asking them to do.”
Earlier, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said her department had noted with concern the scourge of violence that has gripped schools in South Africa. In light of the social ills that have plagued the school community in recent weeks, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has called for an inter-departmental symposium to address school violence.
Recently in Gauteng, a learner pointed a gun at a teacher.
