The Mpumalanga MEC for education, Cathy Dlamini, has strongly condemned the brutal killing of Elliot Mndlovu (58), a security guard at Melekutu Primary School in KaBokweni, Mpumalanga.

She says Dlamini’s body was discovered near the school’s computer lab early on Sunday morning.

According to the report from the school, the incident happened at 03:00, when unknown robbers broke into the school premises and forcefully opened the room where Mndlovu spent time in between his patrols. The guard was killed, she says.

She says when Hi-Tech Security received a signal from the school’s alarm system they immediately dispatched a patrol squad.

“Upon arrival, there was no sign of the security guard, and after searching around the premises, they found Mndlovu lying dead close to the computer laboratory. The suspects had gotten away with the school’s tablets, an overhead projector and a school panic button,” she says.

Dlamini visited the school and the bereaved family on Monday to pay homage to the deceased and to express her condolences.

During her visit, the MEC called on members of the community to work collectively to fight crime in the area and assist with providing information to law enforcement agencies that will lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of these crimes.

She also urged the community to refrain from buying stolen goods, indicating that they should instead report any person selling such items to the authorities.

The department deployed officials from the wellness section to render psychosocial support to everyone at the school and their families.

She called on anyone with information that will be useful in the investigation to contact the nearest police station.