Classes at Witbank Technical High School suspended after emotions boil

Chaos broke out at the Technical High School in eMalahleni this morning when a group of people tried to disrupt exams.

The unhappy group of people questioned the procedures taken after learners were suspended for an assault on a fellow learner. The video of the fight went viral on social media.

The group intended to remove the learners from their classrooms.

The school’s gates were however protected by a group of concerned parents who stood their ground to protect the learners.

Police had to intervene when emotions boiled over and the situation spiralled out of control. Police had to fire tear-gas to disperse the two groups.

Several cars were damaged during the demonstration when the group rolled huge rocks onto the road to prevent parents from fetching their children from the school. Car windows were smashed, and side mirrors ripped off.

The Mpumalanga MEC for Education, Mr Bonakele Majuba, who arrived at the school early this morning, said he is very much disturbed by the developments at the school. He suspended all classes until Monday, June 21.

The fight broke out on Tuesday, June 8 after one of the learners, who is a class leader at the school, was accused by four fellow learners of telling on them after they allegedly bunked classes. During an off period, they assaulted him.

The victim sustained serious injuries to one of his eyes, his cheekbone is fractured, and he suffered several soft tissue bruising.