Pastors and priests were called in to deliver children from evil spirits at a high school north of Durban this week after pupils started screaming.
Verulam Secondary School headmaster Mohammed Iqbal Ismail said he had called in a group of Christian pastors and a Muslim and a Hindu priest to help with the problem and everything was now under control.
“It happened on Friday last week with a few girls – about nine of them. We brought them into the office and called the Christian Students’ Association in the school to pray for them and we contacted the school governing body. We sent the kids home and closed the school at noon and told the parents. We don’t know what’s affecting them,” Ismail said.
“They were on their way to class and they just started screaming. And then on Monday we had pastors at the school and while I was in assembly, it started with one child,” Ismail said.
Ismail said the nine children were again “affected”, with another five children who started screaming and crying uncontrollably.
“Of the 14 pupils, nine are back at school,” Ismail said.
Pastor Mthobisi Ngcobo, of Liberty Assemblies Family church in Mountview, Verulam, said
: “From what I understand, they are affected by some kind of evil spirits. It is very common in the schools. I don’t know why. Some will understand it as the spirit of Satanism that affects the kids, especially the girls. We just cast them out calling upon the name of Jesus.
“When I was doing counselling with one of the girls, she said when she wants to come through the (school) gate she sees this short man coming to grab her and bite her on the neck and she sees a snake about to attack her. That’s why they are screaming and sometimes they see some kind of terrible animal attacking them. They scream and then the other girl screams because it goes to the other girl. They are scared if they speak of it that it is going to be worse.”
He said the pupils had been screaming, rolling around and trying to fight. Blood was coming out of their mouths because they were in danger of swallowing their tongues.
Hysteria
Ismail said Education Department psychologist Rashid Motala had paid a routine visit to the school this week.
“He wrote in my report book that ‘this is the symptom of mass hysteria and that it is clear that the principal is managing the situation appropriately and this is commendable’,” Ismail said.
Education Department spokeswoman Mbali Thusi said: “Usually when such situations arise, the school would engage with parents and the school governing body, the community and other relevant stakeholders to seek a solution.”
She said the department offered psychological services to affected pupils. - Independent on Saturday