'Satanic' murder shocks school

2008-08-18 14:13

Johannesburg - Wielding a Ninja sword, a matric pupil allegedly involved in Satanism killed a 16-year-old boy and stabbed two workers at a Krugersdorp High School on Monday morning.

His younger brother grabbed the sword after he had thrown it to the ground.

"Wat nou, meneer? (What now, sir)," he asked the school principal after the incident, which occurred just before school assembly at Nic Diederichs technical high school.

Police spokesperson, Captain Jacob Raboroko, said he did not resist arrest.

"He was very calm when we arrested him in the staff room," said Raboroko, declining to comment on reports that he was high on drugs.

Satanism, drugs

The boy had painted his face black and wore a black balaclava, resembling the drummer of the band Slipknot, said Krugersdorp councillor Alex Raubenheimer, adding: "He said Satan told him to kill the children."

Raubenheimer also said that there were reports from witnesses that the boy had abused drugs.

Raubenheimer, who interviewed some of the school children, also said the police had confiscated dagga from some pupils, but this could not be confirmed.

Community leader, Pierre Eksteen, who is in charge of a school support network for children, told reporters outside the deserted school grounds that Satanic music was probably the cause of the attack.

"He came here camouflaged as the guys from Slipknot. We know the wrong kind of music, and drugs have bad effects. Young people need to be informed of the effects of bad Satanic music," said Eksteen.

Toy hand grenade

The matric pupil stabbed and killed the 16-year-old grade nine pupil before stabbing two gardeners who were taken to hospital in a serious condition.

Another pupil suffered an asthma attack after witnessing the killing.

The police said they found a toy hand grenade on the school's premises.

The school, which has suspended lessons for the day and did not allow journalists and photographers onto its premises, said it would release a media statement on Tuesday.

Local residents had started laying bunches of flowers outside the school gate.

The matric boy was in police custody and would appear in court within 48-hours.

Slipknot's debut album, which was released independently in 1996, was called Mate. Feed. Kill. RepeatM. Subsequent albums were released through studio deals. The band's fourth studio album, All Hope Is Gone, should be released this month, according to the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia.

- SAPA