PICS: Pupil goes on alleged drug-fuelled rampage at uMlazi school

Published Sep 19, 2018

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Durban - Drugs have been blamed for the behaviour of a Grade 10 pupil accused of breaking almost all the windows at a Durban high school on Sunday.

The pupil of Zwelihle Secondary School, in uMlazi, was apparently caught by a security guard on his window-breaking spree while armed with a spear and a hammer.

The pupil was allegedly high on whoonga at the time.

He allegedly went into a drug-fuelled frenzy on Sunday and, after gaining entry through a hole in the school fence, went from the administration block, to the principal’s office and to five school blocks and broke all the windows with bricks, rocks and bottles.

Teachers and pupils returned to school on Monday and discovered the shattered windows.

Classes could not begin on time as teachers and pupils had to clean up.

The Daily News has learnt from reliable sources at the school that the pupil had recently returned from a drug rehabilitation centre where he was kept for 20 days.

“We thought he was off drugs after attending rehab, but we were terrified on Friday when he started doing strange things again. On Friday, he stripped half-naked at school and paraded around,” said a source.

The source said the pupil’s mother was told about the incident and warned to do something about his condition, or else he would be suspended.

“We are thankful that no one was at school when it happened, otherwise people would have been hurt,” said the source of Sunday’s incident.

“Whoonga and dagga are the two most widespread drugs and are easily available to the children in the uMlazi community. It is affecting learning in the classroom. Pupils have become hooligans and are out of control,” said a teacher.

Another teacher said they feared for their lives as pupils at times come to class drunk and high on all sorts of drugs.

The pupil’s mother was informed that the police had opened a case against her son.

It could not be established if the boy had been arrested.

Education Department spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa said vandalism of schools was unacceptable.

“There seems to have been a wave of irresponsible behaviour by pupils in recent times. The department has made efforts to safeguard schools against vandalism. A school is a community asset and everyone should protect it,” said Mthethwa.

Thirona Moodley, of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa, said the lives of teachers were under threat and the department should treat school violence as an urgent matter.

“This is shocking. This pupil obviously has psychological problems and the school being an easily accessible property became the victim,” she said.

Allen Thompson, president of the National Teachers’ Union, said police should play their part in such incidents.

“We should not confuse criminality with an ill-disciplined pupil. The pupil came to school with an intention to vandalise the school. He must be arrested,” he said.

Daily News

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