Parents must foot 'riot' bill

2008-03-03 20:09

Thabisile Khoza

Malalane - Parents will have to pay up after their children vandalised four cars and school property after being told to go home and dress properly.

Pupils at Sincobile High School in Sibayeni, south of Malalane, went on the rampage last week when those who wore civilian clothes and sported dreadlocks were told to go home, put on their uniforms and fix their hair as agreed at a recent meeting.

Mpumalanga education spokesperson Hlahla Ngwenya said: "We understand that they were trying to express their anger, but we don't know why they had to be so violent."

He said the school governing body and school management team would work out how the parents would cover the cost of the damage.

About 20 angry pupils were involved in the mayhem and stoned four cars belonging to the principal, deputy principal and two school teachers.

They also smashed 10 classroom windows, forcing the principal to close the school for the day. Lessons have since resumed.

School governing body chairperson Freddy Ngomane said he was not authorised to comment to the media.

Constable Mzwandile Nyambi of Tonga police said they had opened a malicious damage to property docket on Monday, but that it was withdrawn the same day after the school and the school governing body decided to deal with the matter themselves.

Boycotted classes

Meanwhile, in a similar incident at Amersfoort Combined School, 18 pupils between the ages of 15 to 19 were arrested and charged with public violence last Tuesday.

Superintendent Abie Khoabane said pupils had boycotted classes to call for the immediate dismissal of school principal Khabo Malinga and the reinstatement of teachers who had been dismissed.

Later that day, about 1 000 pupils, including community leaders, marched on the local police offices demanding the release of pupils who had been arrested.

After negotiations were held between parents, the school governing body, pupils and government officials, it was agreed to withdraw charges against the 18 pupils so that classes could resume.

Khoabane said school management and the pupils agreed to solve the matter themselves as the incident had taken place on school property.

- African Eye