Gauteng police say they are confident that the suspects who stabbed a Mondeor High School learner to death will be swiftly brought to justice.
19-year old Khulani Mathebula was fatally stabbed in the chest while he was walking to school, just after 7 o’clock on Tuesday morning.
A 13-year-old suspect has been arrested. The deceased was on his way to school when he was attacked and stabbed to death by three other learners from a nearby school.
Police spokesperson, Kay Makhubele says “Provincial Commissioner of the Police in Gauteng Lieutenant General Elias Mawela welcomed the arrest of the 13 year-old suspect within 24 hours … General Mawela urged the community to work with the police to be able trace the outstanding suspects in this case.”
It’s still unclear what the motive for the attack was, but it’s believed his cellphone was stolen.
Major General Max Masha says a special team of detectives have been assigned to the case.
“At this point in time, we have assembled a team of detectives from Crime Intelligence and activated our 72 hour action plan and we intend to arrest the suspects within 72 hours. In terms of the footages we have seen there is some information, but we are still going to work on (that) and use all our resources as the police to ensure that we come to the suspects and arrest them as soon as possible.”
The principal of Mondeor High School, south of Johannesburg, says learners and community members need to rally behind Khulani Mathebula’s family. The 19-year old Grade 11 pupil was stabbed to death on his way to school on Tuesday morning.
Details surrounding the incident are still sketchy. However, police say they are confident that the suspects will be arrested soon.
Principal Vangelia Nicolau, who was one of the first responders to the scene, says she is devastated by the incident.
“I could feel his pulse and his eyes were still open and I could see that he was still alive but I could see that he was going. I am distraught because I think it is terrible for a mother to lose a child. And the question that was asked is that ‘are we in a crisis situation?’ We will only be in a crisis situation if we stop working with one another and helping one another. So, my message is that we should all rally together to see how we should solve it.”
The Johannesburg South family is in deep mourning after their teenage son was stabbed to death en-route to school.
The slain student’s distraught mother sobbed uncontrollably. It’s a mother’s worst nightmare; having to identify the mortal remains of her only child.
Police say that the teenager was attacked by a group on his way to school.
Reliable information is that police are seeking three pupils from the nearby Randeor High School to assist their investigations. It’s a school for children with special needs.
Police are appealing to the public to come forward with information.
Khulani Mathebula’s uncle, Themba Chauke, says that his nephew had a bright future ahead.
“Khulani, very young, with a bright future ahead of him. You know, I was always there for him. I wanted to know everything what was happening at school, but then to think it would end like this. You know, he is my younger sister’s son. I expected a lot from him. He was so ambitious and it is unfortunate it had to come to this. It is such a sad day for our family; a dark cloud just came over our family.”
The Gauteng Education Department says it’s disturbing that three pupils were identified in the vicinity of the scene.
The school’s principal was also inconsolable. The child died in her arms.
On Sunday morning, a Kimberley pupil was stabbed to death and robbed of a pair of shoes that he wore to his matric dance.
Gauteng Education Department spokesperson, Steve Mabona, says counselling will be provided to learners at the school and the department will assist the victims family with the funeral arrangements.
“The staff and the entire management of the school they managed to contain the situation they continued with the classes when MEC arrived at the school he was given an opportunity to address only the grade 11 and grade 12’s.”
