A mother of a grade 11 pupil who is being sought by gangsters told how she watched helplessly as her son almost got killed by the group that stormed a Mpumalanga school, forcing it to shut down last week.
Schooling has not taken place at Bantfwabetfu High School in Elukwatini, near Badplaas, for a week now since March 17.
She said the attack on her 19-year-old son came after he apparently commented on Facebook that a man believed to be a member of the gang got what he deserved when he was killed allegedly by a rival group on March 13.
Provincial police spokesperson Brig Leonard Hlathi said the man was killed near Elukwatini shopping complex. No arrests have been made.
The pupil and his family are living in fear and there are plans to send him to live with a relative in another area.
The widow whose name is being withheld for her safety, told Sowetan that on Tuesday last week, her son came home with a letter from the principal JM Mahlinza, asking her to come see him the next day.
"The letter did not explain anything but I later found out that he had been slapped by one of two gang members who sneaked into the school and he ran into the principal's office. I was then told he had commented about a gang member on social media but when I asked him, he said he did not post anything," the mother said.
She said when they arrived at the school on Wednesday morning, they found a group of young men outside the gate.
"I have never seen such a thing in my life. They first shouted that my son would die. As I was trying to stomach that, one of the boys came running behind us with an axe and a panga.
"His body language made him look like he was ready to spill my son's blood. I tried to grab him but he slipped and chased [my son] who ran to the principal's office."
The mother said she ran after them and was relieved when she saw that her son was unharmed.
"I was expecting the worst. I thought he would have been stabbed but the principal wrestled the gang member and fought for my son's life. He calmed him down although he was out of control. If it were not for the principal, my son would have been killed," the mother said.
A teacher at the school, who spoke to Sowetan on condition of anonymity, said there was a lot of fear among educators as they feared they would be targeted following last week's events in which Mahlinza was "tapped with a panga in the chest".
A case of trespassing and intimidation was opened.
In a footage Sowetan has seen, two young gang members are seen wielding a panga and threatening teachers.
He said gang-related incidents were becoming common in Elukwatini and the Eerstehoek district.
"We hear all the time that gangs are terrorising people at the Elukwatini Crossing shopping complex. Even in the villages at night but this was the first time they attacked a pupil on the school premises."
The teacher said they had advised the family to remove him from the school for his safety.
"We cannot guarantee that he will be safe after school when he walks home because those people made it clear that they want to kill him."
When Sowetan visited the school on Wednesday, pupils were being sent home again as there was a meeting between staff, education district officials and police to discuss the matter.
About eight police vans were seen patrolling around the school and community.
Two gang members linked to rape, house robbery cases
Police have arrested and linked two members of a gang that forced Bantfwabetfu High School in Elukwatini, near Badplaas, to close for more than a week, to cases of rape and house robberies, among other crimes.
Provincial police spokesperson Brig Leonard Hlathi said the duo – Xolani Mkhonto, also known as "Mabhebhana", and Nhlanhla Khoza, known as "Mabulala" – were apprehended last week after storming the school last week.
They were initially arrested for trespassing, assault and intimidation.
"We are still searching for the other suspects. The suspects, aged 19 and 25 have also been linked to several robberies, housebreakings, cellphone thefts and rapes," Hlathi said.
He said the duo appeared in the Chief Albert Luthuli magistrate's court on Tuesday and their case was postponed to April 1.
They were remanded in custody.
Hlathi said though initial reports indicated that the gang was a group known as The Wrong Turn, their investigations revealed that there were new gangs operating in the area.
"The Wrong Turn gang members were arrested long ago. All 11 of them are awaiting sentencing. These new mushrooming gangs are not known to have names yet. Investigations are ongoing."
Provincial education spokesperson Jasper Zwane said a team had been deployed to the school to engage with teachers, parents and other relevant stakeholders to find a lasting solution on safety measures that must be put in place at the school and surrounding communities.
"Teachers are back at school. Learners are expected to return tomorrow," he said.
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