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Pupils hold principal hostage
29/02/2008 21:45 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Witbank police rescued a school principal who was held hostage by pupils at Kopanang Secondary School on Friday, Mpumalanga police said.
Superintendent Izak van Zyl said about 300 students took the principal hostage when he was introduced as the new head of the school.
"The pupils demanded that the teacher who was an acting school principal be retained as he obtained a good matric pass rate last year," Van Zyl said.
"They started protesting early this (Friday) morning and locked the new principal into a room at the school."
Van Zyl said police from Vosman and Witbank were called in and about 30 officers were dispatched to the school.
"When they arrived on the scene, stones were thrown at them. Two police vehicles were damaged and the station commissioner was hit on the chest."
He said police - armed with rubber bullets - escorted the principal to safety. A police helicopter was used to monitor the situation.
Van Zyl said the damage to the police vehicles was estimated at R10 000.
The situation has returned to normal.
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