South Africa’s Schools In Crisis: Second Teacher Murder In a Week Sparks Urgent Safety Fears

A wave of violence in South African schools has shocked communities, with two teachers killed in separate incidents just a week apart.

A 54-year-old educator was gunned down outside Kayamandi Primary School in Stellenbosch, shortly after a double murder at Endulweni Primary in Tembisa. The back-to-back tragedies have intensified calls for urgent action to protect school staff.

Basil Manuel, Executive Director of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA), said the situation has left many in the profession deeply unsettled.

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“The level of violence is what is most concerning. There have always been issues in and around schools, particularly the difficult-to-teach-at schools, because of community violence. But the murders of late leave one a little taken aback.”

Manuel noted that assigning security to every school is unrealistic due to the scale of the education system, but he believes focused intervention is essential. “The difficult-to-teach-at schools, as we euphemistically call them, are a handful, and we need to target those schools,” he said.

Calls for Stronger Policing as Educators Fear Rising Violence

Equally troubling, Manuel added, is the perception that suspects are evading accountability. “We need to be seeing arrests made by the police. We need to see that things are being done, and that helps to give a sense that people will not get away with it,” he stressed.

The motives behind the attacks vary, ranging from disputes over teaching posts to general criminal activity and even financial conflicts.

In one instance, reports suggest that money may have been exchanged improperly, escalating into violence as individuals allegedly attempted to conceal financial mismanagement.

The increasing frequency of reports has raised concerns about whether the country is facing a growing trend. NAPTOSA has requested official data to assess whether teacher murders are becoming more common, as these figures do not usually appear in ministerial updates.

Trauma Deepens as Schools Enter Critical Assessment Period

Manuel warned that the psychological toll extends far beyond staff, affecting entire school communities. “Our schools need to be safe spaces, not only for teachers but particularly for pupils, because if pupils don’t feel safe in these schools, how are they going to concentrate on learning?”

With final assessments underway nationwide, the timing has further unsettled pupils and educators. Many schools—particularly those already regarded as high-risk—lack adequate counselling services.

“There are a few itinerant people who are going to pitch there to try and assist the children with the trauma and the teachers. But it’s by far not enough,” Manuel said.

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