A gruesome murder at a local secondary school shows that learners are not always safe at schools in our area.

On March 12, a fight occurred at the back of Badirile Secondary School. During this altercation, a 16-year-old boy, who was a Grade Nine learner at the school, was stabbed in his chest by another learner.

According to sources, staff immediately intervened and tried to stop the boy’s bleeding while they waited for an ambulance. Luckily, the school is very close to the Khutsong EMS base, and paramedics arrived at the school within minutes. Although the boy was taken to the Khutsong Main Clinic, he passed away shortly afterwards.

The Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE) spokesperson, Steve Mabona, said that a 17-year-old Grade 10 boy allegedly stabbed the deceased learner.

The school started necessary disciplinary action against the boy who stabbed the learner, while police immediately started investigations and later arrested the alleged perpetrator.

The incident sent shockwaves through Khutsong and also caused the school’s learners not to want to attend school the next morning.

Representatives of the GDE and community leaders arrived at the school and persuaded them to return to their classes and continue with schooling.

Because of the problems, a meeting was held between representatives of the department, parents, and community leaders on March 15.

It was decided that the SAPS must increase random searches at the school and seize all weapons found. The number of wardens at the school must also preferably be increased.

Meanwhile, the GDE’s Psychosocial Support Unit, which was dispatched to the school shortly after the incident, continues to counsel learners and teachers.

The SAPS’s Adopt a Cop programme must also be resuscitated at the school.

Mabona also said that Badirile has not had a principal for some time, which may have contributed to the problems at the school. He said that the GDE would try to fast-track the appointment of a new principal.