Teacher faces angry mob

2003-02-27 23:17

Dumisani Zondi

Bulwer - A Bulwer teacher charged with the murder of an eight-year-old pupil faced angry demonstrators when she appeared in court on Thursday.

Busisiwe Rosemary Gasela of Bulwer Primary School was remanded in custody until next Wednesday. She also faces three counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm after she allegedly banged S'ikhumbuzo Memela's head against the heads of three fellow pupils on February 14.

He was being punished for making a noise in class.

The grade 2 pupil suffered a cracked skull and died this week.

A group of angry women demonstrated outside and in the court, opposing bail and threatening Gasela with death.

S'khumbuzo's grandfather, Mangena Sithole, said on Tuesday - the day S'khumbuzo died - Gasela came to his workplace with a member of the school governing body and asked him to accompany them to the boy's mother's workplace because she wanted to apologise.

"We went to S'khumbuzo's mother. Unfortunately she was not there when we arrived. We were told that she got an urgent call from Edendale Hospital where she was told that S'khumbuzo had died. That is how [Gasela] missed the opportunity to apologise," said Sithole.

After complaining a persistent headache for a week after the punishment, S'khumbuzo was finally admitted to Centocow Hospital near Bulwer at the weekend and then airlifted to Edendale when his condition deteriorated on Sunday.

He was a pupil in one of two classes that were left without teachers when these educators left after fights with Gasela.

School principal Dumisani Khanyile has been accused of failing to take action against Gasela in this case and of failing to report S'khumbuzo's illness and death to education authorities.

In another case of an assault by a teacher, KZN Education MEC Gabriel Ndabandaba has been held responsible for the disability suffered by a pupil after a beating.

Ruling in the case on Wednesday, Judge Hillary Squires said the punishment meted out to the grade 1 pupil, who suffered a compound fracture of the elbow, must have been frightening. The child was beaten with a wooden stick.

Teacher Sylvia Nyuswa, who has since died, was convicted in the Umzumbe magistrate's court of assault and sentenced to a fine of R1 500, or three months' imprisonment plus three months conditionally suspended.

- The Witness