Pupil’s finger severed during Hoërskool Elspark brawl

Zweli Vesi’s finger was severed during the brawl on Monday afternoon. 

It's believed the brawl was sparked by a missing phone. 

His sister Keleabetswe says the incident started on Friday but tensions reached boiling point on Monday. 

“When they are writing their exams, they have their cell phones put in a box so whoever finished first just takes their phone and leaves. So on Friday after the exam his friend had her phone with her and after writing she realised that her phone was not in the box so she went and asked my brother if he had seen anyone taking her phone.”

She says another pupil was able to identify the boy who allegedly made off with the phone but by then it was too late. 

Zweli’s friend confronted the boy on Monday and a fight broke out between two groups at the school. 

Zweli tried to intervene but Keleabetswe says that’s when he was attacked. 

“They attacked him. One grabbed him from the back and he fell on the ground and before he knew it he was being beaten and kicked and the same was being done on the other side to the friend. It was all the Afrikaners boys who were doing that then before he could do anything there was a knife to his face then he used his right hand to block the knife.

“As he was doing that, he realised that he was being stabbed a number of times then he was unconscious for a while.”

ALSO READ:

Keleabetswe accuses the school of neglecting to help Zweli. 

“The lady chased him out of the staff room and said ‘No, we’re busy here, get out’ – with all the blood and his finger was hanging. The tendons had been cut and it was in two pieces. He had multiple stabs on the hand,” she adds. 

She says Zweli was eventually taken to a nearby hospital by a friend’s parent. 

The grade 11 pupil is being kept at the hospital overnight for observation, but the family says they won’t take it lying down. 

“I cannot even begin to express my disappointment in the school. I know previously my little brother had said it in passing that there’s so much racism at the school both the learners and the teachers are doing the same thing. 

“But I never thought it would come to this where he is the victim of such,” she adds. 

The Mpye family says it will take the matter to law enforcement.  

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi will visit the school on Tuesday. 

Listen to Keleabetswe Mpye below: