Johannesburg - A manhunt is under way for three armed men who stormed into Edalinceba Primary School in Duduza in Nigel, Ekurhuleni,and gunned down a 56-year-old deputy principal in cold blood in his office on Tuesday morning.
Children and teachers at the school are receiving counselling following the vicious attack, which was carried out during school hours.
Police spokesperson Kay Makhubele confirmed that the unknown gunmen entered the school premises requesting to see the deputy principal.
They claimed they had been called to fix the electricity.
“When they mentioned the name of the person who called them, the secretary went to call him. She informed him that there were people to see him.
"He came out, and without saying anything, they shot him several times.
"He died on the scene. The suspects ran away and appeared to have used a red Mazda 3 as a getaway car,” Makhubele said.
The motive for the murder was unknown, he added.
Makhubele said the family of the victim were being notified.
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi rushed to the school to find out exactly what had transpired.
He told a local radio station that the killers knew exactly who they were looking for.
“They came under the pretext that there were serious challenges with the school's electricity and they that they wanted to fix it.
"When the security guard at the gate indicated that he had not received such a report, they said the deputy principal was the one who called them,” Lesufi pointed out.
According to the MEC, the men followed the guard into the school. They then met the deputy principal and gunned him down at close range.
Lesufi added that the learners and educators at the school would receive counselling and pastoral assistance following the trauma and slaying of their deputy principal.
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