A mother of a Limpopo teenager who was stabbed and injured by other pupils has accused school security guards of failing to protect her son.
Amukelani Junior Mashimbye, 17, a Grade 10 pupil at DZJ Mtebule Secondary School in Nkowankowa, Tzaneen, is recovering at home after he was allegedly assaulted by pupils from different schools, including some from his own school.
DZJ Mtebule pupil recovering at home after stabbing
During the squabble, he was stabbed twice and sustained serious injuries to the upper body and his hand. He reportedly managed to grab the knife and stab two of his assailants before escaping.
Mashimbye’s mother, Clarah Maduwa, said: “The information that we received and confirmed by the police stated that my son remained at school and informed the guards that he was scared to go home because his fellow pupils teamed up with pupils from different schools and were waiting for him outside. The guards did not alert the police about the looming squabble that appeared to be inevitable, “she said.
Maduwa said her visibly shaken and traumatised son was at home and scared to return to school, thinking that his assailant might come back to attack him again.
“I need the police to deal with his assailants and the school authorities must find a way of addressing bullying in schools to prevent incidents of this nature,” she said.
Police investigating
Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba has confirmed the incident and said police were investigating.
Elizabeth Shingange, a founder of The Elizabeth Home Foundation, a non-profit organisation dealing with different issues affecting communities, said incidents of violence in schools around Tzaneen were rampant, while the authorities were not doing anything to address the scourge.
“We are deeply saddened by what’s happening in our schools. This issue of bullying has been going on for years. As parents, we live in fear because our children are not safe in schools. We are hereby requesting the department of basic education to intervene and assist residents of Nkowankowa to deal with this issue.”
Limpopo department of education spokesperson Mike Maringa said: “The incident happened outside the school premises; that is why we are not informed about it.”
