The 14-year-old boy arrested for allegedly stabbing a fellow pupil to death at the Forest High School remained in custody at the Booysens police station on Tuesday, Johannesburg police said.
Captain Schalk Bornman said the boy has been charged with murder and police were awaiting word from the state prosecutor on when he would appear before the Booysens Magistrate’s Court.
The bloody body of 19-year-old Simon Mbhele was discovered on the school grounds by pupils early on Monday morning.
”The boy was already dead when our paramedics arrived. He suffered a fatal wound in the neck,” said Netcare 911 spokesperson Nick Dollman.
The 14-year-old fled the scene after the incident but was later found at his parents’ home in Moroka, Soweto. It is alleged that Mbhele, a Grade 10 pupil at the school, ran a loan scheme, lent money to the 14-year-old and was stabbed four times when he demanded it back.
”This is very sad because these children come from poor families and their parents sacrifice a lot to get them to school,” said provicial education minister Angie Motshekga.
Mbhele’s parents were receiving counselling.
On Tuesday the Star newspaper reported that Mbhele had repeatedly made
grim predictions of his death at the school to his mother, asking her to move him to another school. – Sapa