Parents are urged to engage with their children on incidents of bullying after a 17-year-old Bambisani Secondary School pupil in KwaZulu-Natal was caught with a firearm at school recently.

It is alleged that the teenager stole the keys to his father’s safe and took the firearm after having an altercation with another pupil the previous day.

“It seems as if he was scared and wanted to defend himself from the bullies,” explained Mtubatuba Saps spokesperson Captain Justice Hlabisa after police were called to the school.

“When police arrived at the school, they found the suspect with a 9mm pistol loaded with live ammunition.

“He was arrested and charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. His 52-year-old father was also arrested for negligent loss of a firearm.”

Both appeared at Mtubatuba Magistrate’s Court last Friday.

KZN Department of Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi encouraged parents to address all incidents of bullying, and warned: “If this was not intercepted in time, we would be telling a different story.”

This was reiterated by Hlabisa, who urged pupils to report bullying.

“If he had reported the ordeal to his parents, the issue would have been amicably resolved.”