Times Of Swaziland: CHAOS AS DVOKOLWAKO HIGH PUPILS RIOT

CHAOS AS DVOKOLWAKO HIGH PUPILS RIOT
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 BY SIBUSISO ZWANE on 16/07/2019 01:09:00


DVOKOLWAKO – Total chaos! This is what took place at Dvokolwako High School,
where pupils who were baying for one of the staff members’ blood, vandalised
school property, pelted police officers with stones and blocked the road by
burning car tyres and placing broken school furniture.
On the other hand, the armed police who were at first outnumbered by the pupils,
used all sort of riot arms in their possession but failed to disperse the over 1
100 pupils. In fact, the pupils pelted the officers, who were protecting
themselves with their plastic shields, until they ran for cover inside the
school premises.
Conflict
During the armed conflict, the group of police officers who were trying to drive
away the rioting pupils, were seen jumping and drifting back with one of their
legs up. This was because their shields only protected their faces and bodies.
When pelting the officers with the stones, the pupils were targeting their legs
which were exposed.
However, after about four long hours of attacks and counter attacks between the
police and the pupils, the latter were eventually dispersed and this took place
after the arrival of officers from OSSU. The Operational Support Services Unit
(OSSU) officers came armed to the teeth and they brought along a water cannon,
which was used to disperse the rioting pupils.
Tear gas
Amid all that tear gas canisters, rubber bullets, stun grenades and live rounds
of ammunition flew in the air while the pupils who were rioting ran
helter-skelter.
The pupils were baying for the staff member’s blood on allegations of
witchcraft. In fact, they accused the staff member of being responsible for the
deaths of pupils and other staff members. Well-placed sources alleged that last
Thursday, police found a pamphlet which was written about the death of some
pupils, who died recently. The pamphlet alleges that one of the pupils died of a
headache and while they were preparing to go to his funeral on Saturday
afternoon, another scholar was knocked down by a car.
In the pamphlet, the insiders said the authors fingered the staff member in
question as the one responsible for the deaths of pupils and teachers. Again,
the insiders alleged that some pupils were hallucinating at home, as they
allegedly had visions of the staff member in question chasing them with a spear.
“This happened even during broad daylight and thereafter, the pupils would
hardly sleep at night,” they alleged.
They further alleged that the latest incident took place on Sunday morning, when
one of the pupils who was in one of the churches in the area, allegedly ran out
of the temple shouting the name of the staff member in question. The father of
the pupil confirmed the matter and said that his daughter was still recovering
at home as she did not go to school yesterday.
The sources further alleged that last Friday, there was a pastor who had come to
pray for the pupils during the morning assembly. However, according to the
sources, the pastor’s sermon was cut short to award best performing pupils in
order to motivate them for the upcoming mock examinations.
“This did not go down well with some of the pupils and as a result, there was
a mini strike action,” the insiders said.
They alleged that some staff members identified about 30 ringleaders of the mini
strike action, and some of them were allegedly locked inside the school’s
storeroom until late in the afternoon.
Leaders
Again, the inside sources said the alleged ringleaders of the strike were
ordered to come with their parents to school yesterday.
When the pupils arrived yesterday morning, the insiders allgeged they found sand
which was mixed with black particles, sprinkled on the assembly square, in some
classes and offices. Again, the sources said the pupils cited the staff member
in question as the person responsible for the kuchela.
As a result, the sources said when it was time for the morning assembly, a
majority of the pupils boycotted it and decided to gather at the school’s
sports ground.
Meanwhile, the insiders said one of the staff members addressed the few pupils
who were at the assembly square and told them to go home and request their
parents to attend an urgent meeting this morning.
Thereafter, the staff member asked the police, who had come to ensure peace and
order, to drive the pupils out of the school. At first, the source said the
police were successful in driving the pupils out of the school premises.
“However, they (pupils) regrouped outside and started attacking the about 15
armed police officers, whom they outnumbered,” the sources said.
They said during the attack, some of the pupils got a chance to jump over the
school’s wall fence and ran straight to the administration block demanding
that the staff member in question should come out.
“The pupils vandalised the main door, window panes and other property inside
the administration block,” the insiders said.
They said when the police tried to stop those who were vandalising the
administration block, the other group got a chance to damage classrooms, the
school’s  gate and guardhouse for among other things.
“Meanwhile, teachers ran for cover as they feared for their lives. This was
despite the fact that the rioting pupils showed no intention to attack them,”
the sources said.