An 18-year-old pupil appeared in the Malamulele Magistrate's Court last Friday for stabbing a fellow learner with a knife at school.
Hloniphani Robert Golele (18) was allegedly stabbed to death by a fellow pupil, also 18 years old, while trying to break up a fight between his friend and the suspect at Nkatini Secondary School at Xigalu last Wednesday.
Questions are arising as to whether schools are doing enough to eradicate violence and rage on school premises.
The 18-year-old suspect has since been arrested and has appeared in court. He has been charged with murder and was denied bail. The case was postponed to 7 September for a bail application.
The family was saddened by the rumour saying that Robert had been involved in a fight, which was not true. "There are false reports saying that Robert was fighting, and we want to correct that those are just rumours, not facts," they said.
Robert's brother, Kingsley Golele, said he was shocked to see the educators who came to fetch him and his father to the hospital where Robert had been taken. "They told us that Robert was taken to the hospital. When we arrived there, we were told that he had passed away."
He added that the school must be responsible for the safety of the children and that the pupils must be safe on the school premises. "How is it possible that students carry weapons to school without anyone knowing it? We blame the school for not protecting the students against dangers, and we believe that students must be searched before entering the premises of the school to see if there is no one with weapons. When we send children to school, we entrust them with the safety of our brothers and sisters, but they failed us," Golele concluded.
The family pleaded with the community and business stakeholders to help them give Robert a good send-off.
The mayor of Collins Chabane Local Municipality, Ms Joyce Bila, condemned violence and the carrying of sharp objects at schools. Bila was speaking during her visit to both Nkatini High School and the family of Robert Golele.
According to her, school was a place to learn and not to carry weapons.
Local Traditional Leader Ndhuna Malani Maluleke of the Shigalo Tribal Authority said the mayor's visit would help heal the wounds of the bereaved family and ensure that safety was practised at schools.
The police provincial commissioner, Lt-Gen Nneke Ledwaba, said he was saddened by this incident, especially by the way the young man lost his life within the school environment. "We call upon parents and guardians to join hands with the police and educators, to ensure that schools remain a safe environment at all times," said Ledwaba.
Robert Golele will be buried at Xigalu cemetery on Saturday.