Lovers among four pupils who 'died by suicide' at Ivory Park school

Two of the four pupils who died, allegedly by suicide, at a Gauteng school, were a couple and suspected to have been expecting a baby at the time of their deaths.

However, Thembi Lubisi's mother said postmortem results revealed her daughter was not pregnant.

She confirmed that Thembi, 18, and fellow pupil Ananias Morapeng were in a relationship.

Maria Lubisi, 52, said her daughter had allegedly told her father that she suspected she was pregnant.

Thembi and Ananias are among four pupils from Eqinisweni Secondary School in Ivory Park, Midrand, who died allegedly by suicide between April 26 and May 4.

Thembi was a mother to a one-year-old child.

Lubisi said Thembi was on her way from school on April 26 when she collapsed on the side of the road. 

“Thembi doesn’t live with me but with her father [in another part of Ivory Park], and every Friday she comes by to fetch her child and her young siblings.

"I was texting them (siblings), asking where they were and they said they were on their way but that there was something wrong with Thembi,” said Lubisi. 

She immediately hurried to where Thembi had collapsed. 

“When I got there, she [lay] unconscious along the road. Someone was praying over her and I was shaking."

She said Thembi's father arrived and they took her home and later to the clinic where she was certified dead on arrival.

"Her father later told me that she might have taken poison, and I asked myself why and how because she was OK the previous day (Thursday)."

Ananias died, also allegedly by suicide, on May 3.

The 18-year-old was in grade 11. 

His father, Lawrence Makoela, on Tuesday said he was too distraught to speak about his loss.

Thandeka Nombinja, 19, a matric pupil from the same school, was found dead by one of her two brothers in their Ivory Park home, on May 4.

“Thandeka was alone at home. My [other] brother was the last one to see her. He said she was lying on the couch browsing through her phone and laughing when he left home. He told her that she should leave the keys with their neighbour when she goes out," said Thandeka's brother Sibusio Nombinja. 

"When I came back, I couldn’t find her and I tried knocking but there was no answer at the door. I went to check with the neighbour and got the keys. When I opened the door, I found her lying on the couch with foam coming from her mouth.” 

Sibusiso said Thandeka was rushed to the local clinic but 20 minutes later, they were told she had died. 

“When I came back home from clinic, I went through her personal things in her room and found different coloured powders that I couldn’t explain. There was one packet that was empty while another had a blue powder."

Sibusiso described Thandeka as a quiet person who aspired to be a model. 

"She always participated in school beauty pageants. Thandeka was someone who wouldn't tell you if something was bothering her. She kept everything to herself."

The fourth pupil from the school, who died on May 2, was also suspected to have died of poison.

The Gauteng department of education said a psycho-social support unit would be deployed to the school.

"It is indeed heart-wrenching to witness the loss of young lives. We extend our deepest condolences to the families affected by the loss. Mental health support services will be bolstered in schools to ensure our learners receive the necessary assistance and guidance during difficult times," said MEC Matome Chiloane.

Nelly Ntsaweng, who was Thandeka's neighbour, said: "I hope it does not spread any further. I hope we [as parents] should pick up certain things about our children before it is too late."

mashalek@sowetan.co.za