Chaos At A Midrand School As Two Pupils Die While Community Loots Supplies

The atmosphere at David Makhubo High School in Kaalfontein, Gauteng, has been further heightened by the tragic loss of two pupils within just one week. The month of May began on a sombre note when one of the school’s pupils tragically passed away due to an illness on Thursday.

Unfortunately, another tragedy unfolded on Thursday, 9 May, coinciding with the memorial service for the grade 10 boy. According to the Gauteng Department of Education, a grade 12 boy died after collapsing while in the schoolyard.

Educators were promptly alerted by learners of this incident, and despite the initial assumption that the learner fainted, the situation was grave, as stated in the Gauteng Education Department’s statement.

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The provincial department called emergency services to the school, and the pupil’s parents were also informed about the incident. In an effort to maintain calm, the incident was not immediately disclosed to those at the memorial service to prevent panic.

Regrettably, the learner did not survive. The news of the matriculant’s passing was shared during Friday’s assembly, but before the announcement could be made, some pupils, deeply affected by the unfolding events, suffered fainting spells.

This incident has been captured in videos that have since gone viral on social media platforms. The South African Police Service (SAPS) is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the grade 12 pupil’s passing.

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has expressed his sincerest condolences to the bereaved families.

Currently, the priority is to provide all necessary support to the learners, staff, and families impacted by these tragedies. Counselling services and other forms of support are being extended to assist the school community during this incredibly difficult time, as mentioned by Chiloane.

In addition to the deaths of the two students, the high school became a scene of chaos when some members of the Kaalfontein community stormed the premises. According to the provincial department, the incident on Friday reportedly included the looting of school supplies.

In the turmoil, there were instances of learners being driven out of school grounds and unfortunate acts of looting of school resources, including food supplies from the national school nutrition program.

Circuit management was on-site to oversee the handling of the situation post-collapse and during the assembly and subsequent disruptions.