Queenstown | Wednesday
A MATRIC farewell for students from the Dr WB Rubusana Senior Secondary School in Queenstown’s Ezibeleni township in the Eastern Cape, ended in tragedy at the weekend when three pupils were shot, allegedly by a teacher, and a fourth died while trying to get help.
The accused, Zanoxolo Gxalaba, who teaches at the same school appeared in the Queenstown Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday and was released on R3 000 bail.
Police representative, Captain Mika Zondeka, said the shooting occurred on Saturday while the Grade 12 pupils were returning home from an East London outing as part of their farewell.
He said according to information received from other pupils, the three injured boys and the dead were very drunk and the teachers decided to transport them in a taxi that was meant for the teachers.
Gxalaba and another teacher remained in the taxi to guard the boys. The boys — Mthetheleli Gcilitshana (18) Basanda Mtsi (18) and another unnamed pupil were allegedly later shot in the taxi during an argument.
Further on the taxi was stopped and seven boys including, Gcilitshana, were ordered to get out the taxi. ”The pupils then took Gcilitshana and placed him on the side of the road and went to look for help.
One of them, 22-year-old Xolani Vangqa, tried to stop an on-coming vehicle to seek help but was hit and killed instantly. ”The driver sped off believing he was being hijacked and proceeded to the Stutterheim police station where he reported the case.”
The wounded pupils were admitted at the Frere Hospital where their condition was described as stable. – Sapa