Umlazi pupils arrested after school vandalism [VIDEO]

Police have arrested pupils from a high school in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), after a video showed them vandalising their own school. They will also face a disciplinary hearing by the school.

A video is circulating on social media showing pupils from Mzwamandla High School allegedly vandalising their school and carrying weapons to school.

The video shows pupils using a knife to cut electricity cables from a classroom.

Umlazi pupils caught on video allegedly stealing electricity cables

The implicated pupils are seen pulling electricity cables from the ceiling and ripping them from the wall, while other pupils watch from outside.

The person filming the video is also heard singing, “You’re stealing copper cables,” and saying, “Pull them, pull them.”

Watch the video of the pupils here:

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The KZN MEC for education, Sipho Hlomuka, condemned the incident and said the department was shocked and disappointed by the pupils.

“Our core focus as the Department of Education is to provide quality education, instil discipline in our learners and nurture them into responsible citizens,” the MEC said on Monday.

“This criminal and ill-disciplined behaviour, including carrying weapons to school, will not be tolerated.”

Video shows pupils glorifying negative behaviour — MEC

Hlomuka said he found it even more concerning that the pupils recorded the act and circulated it on social media, glorifying negative behaviour.

The MEC commended the school management for taking decisive action, which led to the arrest of the implicated pupils.

The teens will also face internal disciplinary processes in line with the school code of conduct administered by the school governing body.

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He also stressed that the department has enforced fiscal discipline and cost-cutting measures to ensure it delivers all programmes effectively within limited resources.

“Acts of school vandalism not only constitute a criminal offence but also place an additional financial burden on the department.”

The MEC called on communities to strengthen partnerships with law enforcement authorities.

“We urge members of the public, school authorities and learners to report any form of criminal behaviour to their nearest police station,” the MEC.

Violence at KZN schools

The department’s condemnation of the incident at Mzwamandla High School came a day after it expressed concern over two violent incidents at schools on Friday, 22 August.

At Trenance Park Secondary in Pinetown, a 17-year-old Grade 10 pupil was stabbed in the neck by two Grade 8 pupils during school hours.

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The department confirmed that the victim underwent surgery, is recovering in hospital, and remains in a stable condition. The two suspects were apprehended by security and handed to the police.

In a separate incident, a mass brawl at Esther Payne Smith Secondary in Northdale left two pupils, aged 15 and 17, injured with head and leg wounds.

They received emergency treatment from Mi7 before being hospitalised, and a suspect was arrested and handed over to the police.

‘We condemn school violence’

“As a department, we condemn school violence. It has no place in our learning environments and in our communities. We wish the injured a speedy recovery,” MEC Hlomuka said on Sunday.

The government condemned all forms of school violence on Monday, stressing that schools must remain safe spaces where teachers and pupils follow rules.

“Government calls on parents to take an active role in the upbringing of their children and to instil values of respect, responsibility, and non-violence,” the government emphasised in a government news bulletin.

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