By Slindile Maluleka
Durban - Eighteen-year-old Andile Mbeje of Mariannridge Secondary School wanted to be a policeman - until he was stabbed to death by a fellow classmate in a brawl on Wednesday morning.
An argument between Mbeje and a fellow classmate on Tuesday, which later escalated into an altercation between the two young men, is believed to be behind the stabbing.
Mbeje was walking to school when a Grade 12 classmate allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed him twice, once in the heart and once in the shoulder. Mbeje stumbled and fell to the ground in a local park, just 500m from the school gates.
While KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Muzi Mngomezulu confirmed that a suspect was arrested and a murder case had been opened, Senior Superintendent Jay Naicker said investigations were continuing.
"Other pupils who may have witnessed the incident are being questioned by detectives at the school," he explained.
The suspect was handed over to police by his brother, who had told police that the suspect was at his home in Dasenhoek.
Mbeje's family is devastated. His grandmother, Thembisile Mbeje, was taken to hospital for medical attention after hearing of the murder.
His uncle, Musa Mbeje, said the young man had ironically come home and told the family of the argument on Tuesday, but had never thought it would lead to murder.
"No-one works in the family and he had hopes of becoming a policeman after he made continuous observations of the escalating crime rate. He did not have any parents, which made him dependent on his granny. But he held a part-time security job in Pinetown," he said through tears.
Ncamsile Mbeje, who is the granny's sister, said it was unbelievable, and the family had suffered a great loss.
"It is so sad because it has not even been a year since his father has died," she said.
Friends of Mbeje who had gathered at the park after the killing said he had trained many local youngsters in weightlifting and body building.
"We feel so bad that he has died. All the boys here grew up together and we will really miss him a lot," said Choy Hlengwa.
While the school principal declined to comment, provincial Education MEC Ina Cronje and Head of Education Department, Dr Cassius Lubisi, conveyed their condolences to the family.
"This is a very sad incident indeed and my sincere condolences go out to the Mbeje family, friends, educators and learners at Mariannridge Secondary School. Even though the incident occurred outside of school premises, as a department we will help provide psychological counselling to the school to assist pupils with trauma debriefing," Cronje said.
The suspect is being detained at KwaNdengezi Police Station and will make his first appearance at the Pinetown Magistrate's Court today.