Gauteng MEC for education Matome Chiloane addressing learners of Lesedi secondary school photo by Dimakatso Modipa
MEC for Education Matome Chiloane visited the Lesedi Secondary School in Skierlik, Far East of Mamelodi on Friday morning to address learners of that school in the wake of a shocking incident whereby a Grade 11 learner Lethabo Matula was brutally murdered just outside the school’s premises on Wednesday.
His assailants are said to be two boys who are learners at the selfsame Lesedi Secondary School.
“Being a learner is the best time of one’s life because everything is taken care of on one’s behalf, and one doesn’t have work responsibilities and the only thing that one is expected to do is to concentrate on one’s education,” said Chiloane as he exhorted the learners to steer away from a life of gangsterism and bullying behaviour.
“Please don’t let what happened in the school this week happen again, I am begging you in this regard and those of you who are involved in acts of gangsterism must stop such unruly behaviour immediately they enter the school yard because their behaviour won’t be tolerated as we don’t want a situation whereby those who want to learn are prevented from doing so by unruly elements who think they are grown-up men and women,” he said.
“School premises are factories where we are producing future lawyers, doctors and presidents, and we won’t entertain sentiments which suggest that learners must be allowed to misbehave because they are children,” enthused Chiloane as he pointed out that those found to be engaging in acts of bullying must be expelled with immediate effect.
He referred to the school’s 88% pass rate of the Matric results in the first term of the 2025 school calendar and indicated that the target should actually be a100% pass rate at the end of the year.
He said grade 12s only have one term left to write their final exams and indicated that from then onwards the world will be like the proverbial oyster to them as they would be able to go to college or university and have a great future ahead of them, and that they must not waste such an opportunity in their lives by engaging in unruly behaviour.
“I am very saddened by the murder incident that happened at the school and I am appealing to you to speak out regarding incidents of bullying or any unruly behaviour that is directed at you; report such matters to the principal and if the principal doesn’t take any action in this regard you may contact me personally via social media and I will make sure that you are protected,” he said.
“Let conflicts come to an end at schools, let gangsterism come to an end because nothing good comes out of gangsterism and taking drugs or selling them, and nothing good comes out of taking alcohol as well and just concentrate on your studies, and I urge you to protect, support and love one another,” said MEC Chiloane.
After addressing the Lesedi Secondary School learners Chiloane visited the family of the slain Lethabo Matula to express his condolences to them and pointed out that what makes the matter more painful is that those who killed Matula are learners from the selfsame Lesedi Secondary School where Matula was also a learner.
“We offer our apology to you as the Matula family because as government we have the responsibility to protect all learners and this incident is one incident too many and I must say this is premeditated murder as perpetrators came to the school wearing balaclavas with the sole aim to murder their fellow learner and as a result we find ourselves at the lowest point, but we admit that the school should have put in place measures to make sure that such an incident doesn’t occur,” said Chiloane as he addressed members of the Matula family.
He revealed that Lesedi Secondary School is one of the 75 schools that had been identified as crime hot spots and the police failed to deliver on their promise to keep an eye on the school.
He said if there was a police van outside the school as agreed, then the ugly incident could have been avoided.
He said violence among learners usually takes place just outside school premises and that it would be helpful if the police would make themselves visible next to the gates of the school at least thirty minutes before school starts in the morning and thirty minutes after the end of lessons in the afternoon.
He also revealed that the late Lethabo Matula had previously had an altercation with one of his attackers whereby weapons were used and said the school should have suspended both boys immediately to avoid further conflict between them.
He said learners form gangster groups because they feel safe when in the presence of such groups but ultimately the said gangster groupings end up getting involved in malicious activities.
“Lethabo is gone and now the question is who is next if the culture of bullying is not eradicated at schools?” asked a distraught Shirley Mokonyane who is the aunt of the deceased learner Lethabo Matula.
“I urge the government to show a strong hand in dealing with bullying and gangsterism at schools because we no longer regard schools as places of safety and parents together with the government must work hand-in-hand to bring an end to the chaos that is reigning at schools among learners,” said Mokonyane.
She said schools should be places whereby learners work together and show love to one another as in some cases they may have to work together in some project.
The two boys who allegedly killed Lethabo Matula have now been arrested.
Meanwhile, Soil of Africa chairperson Bongani Ramontja told Tshwane Talks that he is concerned about the safety of learners at schools because it is apparent that they are not safe at all.
“Educators can’t distinguish between discipline and retribution and we are urging Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to permanently deploy Amapanyaza at all schools in Gauteng because right now we don’t see what the Amapanyaza are doing except that they drive around in fancy government-issued cars,” he said.
“We can’t rely on suspending learners from school as a mechanism to entrench discipline at schools because once you suspend learners you will find out that there are wrong role models outside the school yard who will prey on them and use them in nefarious activities,” warned Ramontja.
“All parents are shaking in their boots now regarding the safety of learners and this gangster-related incident at Lesedi Secondary School is not an isolated one because there are gangsters at Ribane Laka Secondary School fighting over issues of tribalism,” lamented Ramontja.