JOHANNESBURG – South African government minister says she is ‘horrified’ by the stabbing which occurred at the teacher’s home.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga on Friday condemned in the “strongest possible terms” the fatal stabbing of a teacher allegedly by a 15-year-old pupil.
Zimbabwe national Kingston Vhiya, who was a teacher at Bosele Middle School in Manyeding Village near Kuruman, Northern Cape, was stabbed to death at his home at the weekend. The deceased was from Masvingo and had only been at the school since last year.
A Grade 8 pupil has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing to death the teacher he accused of failing him. The 15-year-old allegedly went to the teacher’s home in the early hours of Saturday and started breaking all the windows with stones.
When Vhiya went outside, the boy is alleged to have hit him with a stone on the chest before stabbing him to death.
In a statement on Friday, the minister’s office said she was “horrified” by the stabbing which occurred at the teacher’s home. Motshekga said “this form of violence needs to be condemned in the strongest possible terms”.
On Friday Northern Cape Education MEC Martha Bartlett visited the family of the slain teacher. She was also expected to visit the slain teacher’s school to establish if there are any particular challenges that need to be addressed and to provide psychosocial services to teachers and pupils.
“The holistic education of our learners is a societal matter, and we all as communities, parents and guardians need to instil in our children the notion that violence is not the answer, problems will not be solved through violence,” said Motshekga.
“We are aware that the area in Kuruman, where the learner is from, faces a number of social challenges, such as a high number child headed households, the break-down of the family structure, poverty and substance abuse among others.
“This therefore makes the role of the community and relevant government entities, in supporting our young people to mitigate these challenges ever more important.”
– African News Agency (ANA)