Two men, who attempted to rob pupils, were allegedly overpowered, attacked, and killed by pupils on school grounds in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal.
The incident, which left parents concerned about their children’s safety, took place at Mzamo High School, in Osizweni, on Tuesday.
Sources said the pair had been camping outside the school after ongoing gang violence in the area.
The gang violence involves two gangs, with members aged between 14 and 25, who call themselves “The Last Warnings” and the “Juveniles” and have been, for years, terrorising the Osizweni community. It is alleged some gang members attend the school.
One of the sources, who asked not to be named, said it was concerning that the suspects used the main gate to enter, which questioned the school’s security.
“It was chaos, the children are traumatised. At first, we thought it was the pupils who were killed but the criminals were the ones attacked and killed. It can’t be that criminals and gangs can have easy access to schools and subject the teachers and pupils to threats.
“The department needs to do something about this. This speaks to the violence in this community,”said a source, adding that there is a high dropout rate among learners and they end up joining gangs and terrorising communities and schools.
KwaZulu-Natal provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed the incident. It is alleged that two unknown men were standing outside a school, allegedly waiting to rob pupils.
Netshiunda said the two men attempted to rob pupils after school but the pupils ran back to school.
“The suspects were allegedly attacked and were found dead in the school parking area. Two pupils were slightly injured in the process. Osizweni police are investigating two counts of murder after the incident,” said Netshiunda.The provincial education department didn’t respond to queries.
Source Hararelive
