SIPHELELE NKETO
ON January 22, Ntabankulu Primary School in the Eastern Cape was transformed into a crime scene instead of a place of learning.
This was after a shooting incident claimed the lives of three teachers. The victims were: Nonyameko Matanzima (64), a Grade 1 teacher with 17 years experience; Buyiswa Nkqayi (52), a Grade 3 teacher who has been teaching for 12 years; and Ntombizonke Nonkondlo (51), a Grade 4 and Grade 5 teacher specialising in IsiXhosa for more than nine years.
It was at around lunch time when the disturbing incident occurred. The teachers were in the staff room when the suspect, a former teacher, forcibly entered the school premises by cutting through a perimeter fence. He allegedly proceeded straight to the classroom where teachers were listening to a presentation and opened fire.
He later took his own life. SAPS confirmed that the suspect was out on bail for sexual assault charges involving learners.
One teacher was declared deceased at the scene and the two other teachers sustained injuries and later passed away.
The Eastern Cape Department of Education MEC Fundile Gade visited the school and the families of the victims on Monday, accompanied by local leadership.
Gade condemned the shooting and raised his concern over on-going violence in schools. He described the incident as horrific and devastating to teachers, learners and the entire community of Ntabankulu.
He said that beyond increasing security in schools, social behaviour and morality should be the primary focus. The mayor of Ntabankulu Local Municipality Tsileng Sobuthongo urged the community to work with teachers and government departments to help heal the traumatised learners.
The Democratic Alliance Shadow MEC for Education Horatio Hendricks MPL expressed a deep concern at the tragic incident and said that the incident has caused significant trauma to the school community and the surrounding area.
“Schools must always remain safe spaces dedicated to learning, care and development. They can never be allowed to become sites of violence or criminal behaviour,” she said.
SAPS launched three counts of murder and an inquest.
