/ 18 September 2007

Stabbed pupil’s mother a top education official

The mother of a schoolboy who was stabbed to death on the weekend is a senior Gauteng education official, the department confirmed on Tuesday.

Mfundo Ntshangase, a grade 11 pupil at King Edward VII high school, was stabbed seven times by pupils from another school at a party on Sunday.

Ntshangase later died in hospital while his friend, who was also stabbed, survived the incident.

Four pupils from Athlone Boys’ High school were arrested in connection with the crime on Tuesday morning.

Kate Bapela, spokesperson for Gauteng provincial minister of education Angelina Motshekga, said the boy’s mother, Nonhlanhla, was the deputy director of the Gauteng education department.

”The department has visited the family already and we are making arrangements to visit the family of the survivor,” said Bapela.

She said this was an unfortunate incident.

”Although the stabbing happened outside the school environment, we urge parents to take extra precautions when allowing their children to attend social gatherings.

”If a dangerous weapon is carried into the school premises, we have safety officers who know how to manage this type of situation. Parents need to take similar precautions,” Bapela said.

She explained that parents who allow their children to attend get-togethers should know where their children were and who they were with.

”The department is not aware of the particulars of Saturday night’s party but only that it was organised by pupils at someone’s home,” she said.

Bapela also stressed that there were no such things as rival schools.

”There are no rival schools in the Gauteng area. They are all public institutions managed by the department of education. Rival means that someone is at war. This is not the case with the two schools in question,” she said.

The education department added that teachers at these two schools would now concentrate more on their life-orientation course that included talks on behaviour, conduct and conflict.

”This is quite a serious programme because pupils need to know there are boundaries and they need to know how to engage with each other without having to hurt anyone,” Bapela explained.

Nonhlanhla Ntshangase (40) said earlier she was determined to meet the teenagers arrested for allegedly stabbing her son, but was advised against it by police.

”I want to see for myself that the culprits … were arrested and are behind bars,” she said.

Police spokesperson Captain Cheryl Engelbrecht said the suspects were aged between 16 and 18 and were arrested at Athlone Boys’ High on Tuesday morning. Other suspects are now being sought.

The distraught mother, meanwhile, said she was not sure whether she was being told the truth.

”I don’t know if the police are telling me the truth. I want to go to the police station to see for myself that they have been arrested.”

She said, as a mother, she needed to see the faces of those who took her son’s life.

”I don’t understand why they did this to Mfundo. And although I want to see these boys, the police said it would not be good for me.

”The bottom line is that Mfundo will never be brought back. He is gone and nobody can bring him back now. He was my only child.”

She described her son as a talented young man who wanted to become a computer engineer one day.

”He was also very sporty and loved basketball and swimming. I miss him so much.”

Mfundo’s funeral will take place on Saturday at the West Park Cemetery.

The four teenagers are expected to appear at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. — Sapa