Brookdale · February 11, 2024
Parents of learners from Brookdale Secondary stood in protest outside the school, demanding a probe into the death of grade 10 pupil, Siyabonga Mngomezulu who had been stabbed multiple times from an altercation with a fellow student that took place after school hours.
Students who were interviewed reported that Mngomezulu was confronted after school by the perpetrator, a grade 8 student. The two had gotten into a heated argument which then turned physical and ended with the grade 8 learner stabbing Mngomezulu. Teachers attempted to aid him by contacting a private ambulance but were refused aid due to not having enough money upfront, and so they resorted to using emergency services, however the ambulance was delayed, forcing teachers to use one of their personal vehicles to transport the learner to the Unit 10 clinic where he remained for what was reported as eight hours till he was stabilized. The learner was then transferred to Ghandi's Memorial Hospital where it was discovered that he had suffered from severe internal bleeding and passed on.
The surrounding community has expressed outrage at the lack of security the school provides, stating that they have pleaded with management numerous times to provide better security measures to ensure that their children are being educated in a safe environment, but these requests have fallen on deaf ears and failed to be met, with one parent stating that the school's lack of concern for children's safety is what led to this tragic event.
This tragic turn of events has caused parents to question the safety of learners, not only in Brookdale Secondary, but nationwide as incidents of bullying and violence have become a common occurrence in daily school life. These incidents need to be taken seriously and preventive measures need to be put in place by the Department of Education to ensure that all learners are safe in a school environment.