Six matric boys chased and caught four youths after a fellow-pupil was stabbed outside Greenside High School on Wednesday.
Deputy principal Nicola Whyte said the school was very proud of the six matric boys who chased after the attackers who stabbed 17-year-old Moeketsi Motlhakoana.
”They overwhelmed four of them and dragged them up to the office. It took a lot of strength and a lot of courage,” she said.
Moeketsi is the son of a Johannesburg metro policeman and had intervened when the boys robbed his 14-year-old cousin.
His father, senior metro officer Simon Motlhakoana, said his 17-year-old son had been stabbed with a knife above the right ear.
Moeketsi intervened when he saw ”four thugs between the ages of 16 and 20 attack one of his cousins and take R20,” said Motlhakoana.
The stabbing happened at about 1.45pm on Wednesday while the boys were waiting for the 2pm bus at the back gate of the school.
Motlhakoana said he was proud of his son for standing up to the other boys.
He said Moeketsi was rushed to hospital and given stitches. He was home by Wednesday afternoon and was ”doing well” despite fears that clotting blood in one ear might lead to deafness.
”It’s unfortunate that this had to happen so these things can be exposed,” said Motlhakoana.
Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini said four boys had been taken into custody and charged with robbery and assault.
He said the boys were believed to be part of a gang ”terrorising” pupils.
Motlhakoana, who visited the Parkview police station, said three of the boys were enrolled at Malvern High school in Kensington and the fourth claimed to attend Langlaagte Technikon.
A 20-year-old from Malvern High is accused of stabbing Moeketsi.
”Apparently when we brought them in they were identified by some students as having threatened them and stolen form them before,” he said.
He said he was ”amazed” that the boys allegedly travelled from Kensington to Greenside to allegedly rob and harass pupils.
Whyte said over the last year the incidence of muggings at the school and other schools in the area had increased. She said the school was considering posting guards at the school’s gates.
She said ”vagabonds” who preyed on the children, usually in groups of six or more, were generally believed to be children from other schools who had ”bunked” classes.
”The perpetrators were definitely under the influence of alcohol and drugs,” she said. – Sapa