Family disputes Brakpan pupil was drunk during deadly altercation with school security, groundsman
Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi says the department will appoint an independent team to investigate the death of Reshogofaditswe Secondary School pupil Nhlanhla Shabalala.
Shabalala died last week allegedly after an altercation with a security guard and a general assistant at neighbouring Tsakane Secondary School in Brakpan, east of Johannesburg.
It’s understood Shabalala made his way to Tsakane, some 14 kilometres from his own school, to confront another pupil who had allegedly taken his school bag and cell phone.
The situation escalated when the two staff members got wind that the 16-year-old was armed with a toy gun.
A scuffle ensued between the trio - Shabalala, the security guard and the groundsman - leading to the allegedly assault with a golf club.
Law enforcement were then called to the scene and Shabalala was taken home by the police.
It’s believed he later succumbed to his injuries.
On Monday, Lesufi visited the school where the incident transpired, as well as the boy’s home.
“It’s quite clear that the family is rejecting the report from the school. They feel there are limitations and lots of gaps and lots of unexplained things and I think on that basis. I will then appoint the department to appoint an independent law firm to go through the body itself, interview all affected people and then give me a preliminary report that I can come and give to the family,” he told media outside the Shabalala family home.
Flanked by the 16-year-old’s father and community leaders, Lesufi described the fatal incident as a sorry state of affairs.
“On the basis of that evidence, if we need to act, we will act decisively as a department whether on the side of the staff members or on the side of management.”
The incident sparked widespread outrage, with mushrooming protests at the school and community.
“What’s worrying us is that the entire community, this is the fourth week they have not been schooling and this incident has fuelled the situation. Previously the challenges were about water and electricity but since last week, it has spilled over to this incident.
“All the seven schools in the area have been disrupted I’m coming back here on Wednesday to convene a parents meeting and a meeting with the RCL [Representative Council of Learners] to try and persuade learners to go back to school,” said Lesufi.
The two staff members have not yet been suspended from their duties.
“I think to me the immediate thing, because there is a dispute on the actual scuffle, is to get the post-mortem results. I think that will satisfy the family as well so that the tools that its alleged were used, we can have a confirmation.
“If there are people that have been responsible for this, we will bring them to book immediately.
“I think it would be unfair that if someone has done something like this and they are still either at work or at school but we need some form of evidence,” he added.
Shabalala’s family have denied parts of the sequence of events, including claims that the 16-year-old was drunk.
His father Oupa said there was no evidence he had been drinking before the assault.
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