PUPILS TORCH SCHOOL AFTER 4 SUICIDES

EKUKHANYENI – Pupils at Ekukhanyeni High School torched their school in protest over four suicides.

When they arrived at the school yesterday morning, the expectation was that they would go through a normal day that began with a morning prayer at the assembly square.

The only difference would have been a memorial service for the latest victim of the spate of suicides that has occurred in the school. It was scheduled to take place at a nearby primary school around 8:.30am.

However, during the short prayer, pupils turned rowdy and reacted with violence, vandalising school property and burning down the schools furniture.
The memorial was for a fourth victim of suicide, a Form I pupil who died on Tuesday night.

incidents

The four suicide incidents involving four pupils took place between May and October 2018, with the latest victim being a Form I pupil who will be buried tomorrow.

The names of the deceased are Mthunzi Dlamini, who died in May, Ndumiso Shongwe, who died in July, Sibusiso Simelane, who died in September and Nokwethu Masilela, who died on Tuesday

A witness said the riot started after, deputy Head teacher Bongiwe Zuke made an announcement requesting pupils to proceed to the hall for a prayer for Masilela’s memorial service.

“The pupils started murmuring and as they were dispersing, they were suddenly armed with all sorts of missiles and started causing havoc. In the process they broke several classrooms and hall windows by throwing stones and then started burning furniture inside a classroom,” said the source.
Head of Department (Design and Technology) Paymaster Mdluli confirmed the incident, describing it as a first of its kind.

He said most of the 50 teachers at the school were now in fear of what could follow next. “We were taken aback by the extent of violence that our pupils exhibited this morning. This happened at a time when we were trying to find solutions to the deaths, which are also historic for us.”

Mdluli, who was just parting ways with the deputy and several other teachers at the time the news team arrived, said the police eventually calmed the situation.
“The riot kicked off less than five minutes after we dispersed from the assembly square. What we could pick from the pupils was that they were tired of being ushered to prayer services that they claimed did not save them from the recurring suicides,” he said.

The teacher said the pupils described the rate at which they were dying as ‘dying like chicks’. “During the skirmish they pointed out that they wanted to have a word with the head teacher, who had not yet arrived.”

Mdluli said at that moment when the pupils were armed and rioting, most teachers ran for cover while others drove their cars to safety out of the school gate.
When the Swazi News team arrived, most pupils had already left while a few were still within vicinity.
A few who spoke to this reporter said they were not part of the violence even though they were also worried about the rate and manner in which their colleagues had died.

Solidarity

“I came to school a bit late today and when I arrived there was already singing and chanting. Out of solidarity I joined them, but I did not damage any school property,” said a Form IV pupil, who was already headed for his home.
About five hours after the incident an elderly member of the community identified as a Bhembe paid the school’s administrators a visit and expressed his condolences.

Head teacher Lucky Mathunjwa said he had no comment on the matter and referred all questions to his employer. “I am employed by the ministry of education and training, so I suppose you should talk to them.”

Chief Police Information and Communications Officer (PICO) Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the incident, saying they had not made any arrests yet. She said the police monitoring exams were the first to intervene but when they failed to contain the situation they called for backup. “The police only managed to restrain the pupils after the use of a hand grenade,” she said.

Manzini Regional Education Officer (REO) Mlimi Mamba said he was in the middle of a meeting on the Ekukhanyeni issue and requested to be called after an hour. When he was called later he said everything was under control.
PS Sibongile Mtshali said she had not received any report regarding the matter.

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