Pupils in court for school trip attack

Published Apr 15, 2014

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Durban - Three pupils appeared in court on Monday charged with the attempted murder of one of their schoolmates who was stabbed on a bus during a school excursion.

A fourth co-accused is in hospital.

Sanele Dlamini, 19, Sibusiso Shelembe, 19, and their 17-year old co-accused who cannot be named, made a brief appearance in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court.

They were remanded in custody until Wednesday.

Lindokuhle Ntshali, 19, who is in Edendale Hospital under police guard, was remanded in absentia.

The four teenagers were arrested on Friday after an attack which left four of their fellow pupils at Sibongumbovo School, in Cedara, seriously injured with stab wounds.

The attack took place on a school bus. Ntshali was also injured in the violent altercation and had to be hospitalised.

Police spokesman, Captain Thulani Zwane, said that one of the arrested teens is the accused in an assault case that occurred in August 2013, and the victims were witnesses in that matter.

ER24 reported that two of the victims had been stabbed in the chest.

The third victim sustained facial injuries and the fourth was stabbed in the arm.

According to one of the victims, who did not want to be named, they were travelling to visit another school in the area when the suspects allegedly produced knives and started stabbing pupils.

“We were all screaming and in shock. Then I felt this hot pain going through me and I saw blood. They (accused) were just stabbing wildly. It was so scary, I thought I was going to die,” the 16-year-old victim said.

The victim’s mother said she would not be sending her son back to the school.

“I am very angry. My son almost died. Parents think their children are safe going to school but they are more at risk from their own classmates,” the mother said.

KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu, said: “This was a ruthless act that deserves to be punished. Our children are entitled to peace at their schools.”

He said they were saddened by the pupils’ violent behaviour.

“We really do not need such behaviour from our young people. Schools should remain places for learning,” he said.

“We urge the school to continue working with police and report similar incidents to ensure that those responsible for such violence are dealt with accordingly.”

Daily News

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