Durban - Parents of S M Jhavary Primary School pupils in Clare Estate are concerned for the safety of their children after a man led a group in storming the school’s sports field on Monday, assaulting a cricket coach and children who were at practice.
A parent who witnessed the incident said the man came to the cricket field where the coach and the coach’s mother were looking after the children. He told the coach he wanted to speak to the headmaster, but when he was told he had to make an appointment, he was infuriated.
“He said the land on which the school was built was his. He said he could do anything he pleased.”
The coach again asked him to leave, but the man threatened him.
“He then phoned someone and told them to come to the school. Within a minute three men jumped over the wall and another two came from another side,” the parent said.
When the men arrived, they picked up stones and one of them took a bat from a child and went for the coach. The coach was punched in the mouth, started bleeding and lost a tooth.
The parent said the coach, seeing more assailants coming on to the field, rushed for his car and was hit on the back with a cricket bat.
When he went to call the police, the children were also assaulted.
“I never expected them to assault the children. They hit some of them with the bats. The children were screaming,” the parent said.
The parent said the piece of land that the man claimed was his belonged to the school.
Parents who spoke to The Mercury on Tuesday alleged that the man was notorious and influential in the Sydenham community. The children were bruised and some did not go to school on Tuesday.
Police spokesman Thulani Zwane confirmed the incident and said a case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm had been opened.
No arrests had been made.
The headmaster and the chairman of the governing body, who is also the coach, would not comment.
Sydenham community police forum spokesman Satish Dhupelia said they were shocked to learn of the attack. They would ask the school to beef up security.
The Mercury