I am defeated and like the MEC for Basic Education, Panyaza Lesufi, I no longer have anything to say about the weekly increasing number of learners dying in our schools.
It is not even two months since the school opened for the first quarter and already 16 learners were reported dead either within the school premises, on their way to or from school.
A number of these learners died in the most gruesome ways which would possibly leave some of their peers damaged for a very long time.
I say this because when Enoch Mpianzi died earlier in January, many of the former learners from Parktown Boys High shared some of their heart-breaking memories they harboured during initiative ceremonies in the school .
This clearly shows that one can never fully forget the traumatic experiences but only learn to live with it.
On Monday morning we learned about the two learners who died in a taxi crash while on their way to school.
I can only imagine what the parents are going through; I know they had high hopes for the future for these children.
I know when they sent them to school that morning it didn’t cross their minds that they would see them for the last time.
No parent can ever be prepared to receive the news that their child has died.
I cannot help but wonder what evil spell is hovering our schools this year that we have already exhausted all the tears.
At this point, our schools in Gauteng have turned into crime scenes and we all feel helpless and have exhausted means to fight this evil spirit.
We have sent pastors to our schools, have security guards dispatched to ensure maximum security, police officers conduct surprise visits to the schools but we are still hearing about fatalities.
I mean even the MEC has decided to shave his hair after 40 years after someone advised him to make the sacrifice with the hope that no more lives would be lost.
What more can be done to spare their lives?
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