Pain lingers as minister visits troubled school

The memory of a murdered pupil still hangs heavily in the corridors of Humansdorp Senior Secondary School.

Two months after the teenager was stabbed to death, fear and grief are now part of the school day — and pupils say the threats are far from over.

On Monday, basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube learnt of the growing anxiety as gangsterism spills closer to the school’s gates and drugs and weapons slip onto the grounds.

In response, she has ordered tighter security and unannounced police raids in a bid to restore a sense of safety.

But for the slain boy’s family, none of it eases the pain of an empty chair at home or the knowledge that the six teenagers accused of killing him are still writing their exams — just at separate venues.

Gwarube visited the school as part of her school safety oversight programme, where she urged pupils to take an active stand against issues such as bullying.

The visit comes after the brutal killing of grade 12 pupil Liyolo Wakeni, 18, who was stabbed to death at the school in September.

The pupils who were arrested for the crime have since been released on bail or into the care of their guardians.

The incident took place at about 8.15am on September 23 when a brawl broke out between pupils.

Liyolo was stabbed and managed to break free from the crowd.

However, he was declared dead near the school’s main gate as a result of his injuries.

About a week before that, another pupil from the school was stabbed.

The police said at the time that they had been summoned to the school after a complaint of fighting at the premises but that the wounded pupil had already been taken to the hospital by the time they arrived.

They then went to the hospital but the victim did not want to open a criminal case.

The issue of gang violence spilling into schools in the small town made headlines in 2022 when at least four people were killed in the area in the space of a week.

At the time, the Humansdorp Senior Secondary school governing body said they were concerned about the increase in gang violence and were aware that some of their pupils had allegedly been involved.

During Monday’s engagement, pupils publicly pledged to report incidents of bullying and help build a safer, more accountable school environment — a commitment Gwarube described as essential to protecting the wellbeing of every pupil.

Gwarube said her visit to the school was driven by the need to address both the recent fatal stabbing and the broader surge in bullying incidents across the country.

“Part of the reason I came to visit this school is because of the tragic incident in which a learner was stabbed here about two months ago,” she said.

“The school and the broader community are still reeling from that shock.

“It was important for me, especially in light of the national rise in bullying cases, to meet the principal and understand what measures have been put in place to strengthen security.

“I also wanted to speak directly to the learners about why bullying is harmful, what constitutes bullying and sexual violence, and how they themselves can become champions for building a culture of safety within their school.”

Gwarube also condemned the rise of violence and criminality in schools, calling for urgent, collective action to restore safety and protect pupils.

“School safety cannot rest on the shoulders of teachers alone,” she said.

“We are deeply concerned about the criminality that has found its way into our school environments, and it is heartbreaking that bullying has escalated to the point where a young life has been lost.

“Learners must be at the forefront of this fight for safer schools.

“We are working closely with the SAPS to strengthen safety protocols because schools are meant to be weapon-free zones.

“This includes empowering schools to conduct spot checks and enabling police to carry out raids where necessary.

“We are also pledging our full support to the management team as they work to transform this school into a true beacon of hope for the Sarah Baartman district.”

Matric pupils then performed songs and poetry about the impact of bullying before signing an official Anti-Bullying Pledge, committing to reject violence, bullying and intimidation, and to help build a respectful, safe school environment.

But grieving father Siyabonga Plaatjie said no security measure or court action could soften the pain of losing his son.

In the meantime, he continues to seek justice amid repeated court postponements.

“It won’t change anything,” he said.

“Any of the security protocols they put in place now will not bring my son back.

“It hurts to know that the case is getting postponed because the [alleged] culprits have to write exams.

“It’s not fair that they get to continue with their lives after what they [allegedly] did.

“My only hope now is that the case will continue and the law will take its course.”

The Herald