An 18-year-old from Mamelodi East was arrested on August 2 in connection with the brutal murder of another learner.
The suspect and the deceased, who was 19, were allegedly involved in several heated disagreements, which led to violence.
Police spokesperson, Constable Penelope Khulong, said that during the confrontation, the suspect allegedly stabbed the deceased in the upper body with a knife.
Khulong said the incident happened in Mamelodi Ext 18, and the deceased was later rushed to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Acting station commander, Colonel Moses Mokwana, has condemned this senseless killing.
Mokwana said learner-on-learner violence is quickly becoming a pandemic in our communities.
“To end the prevalence of such incidents, the active involvement of parents, community members, and education structures at large is needed in order to assist the youth to deal with the social ills which result in unfortunate premature deaths,” said Mokwana.
Bongani Ramontja from Soil of Africa called on the Gauteng Department of Education to take decisive action and deploy crime prevention units in township-based schools.
Ramontja said it is unacceptable to repeat the cycle of gang-related school killings, following the alleged fatal stabbing of a Grade 11 learner at a school in Lethabong in Donkerhoek.
He said the safety and future of our children is under serious threat, and the time for visible, consistent policing in our schools is now.
Ramontja stated, “We have pleaded with the provincial leadership to act fast and allocate and deploy these law enforcement at the schools across affected areas, particularly in townships where school-based violence is escalating.
“We are still waiting, and we made it clear that our demands need immediate and decisive action to ensure the safety of our learners and educators.”
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