The late Matric learner Ofentse Moganedi committed suicide after being failed dismally by the Terminus police station, School Governing Body (SGB) and Principal of Pelotona High School in Mabopane, Tshwane.
This is the view of South African National Civics Associations (SANCO) Spokesperson in the Mabopane/ Winterveldt/ Garankuwa (Mawiga) region Jimmy Molamu.
According to Molamu, Moganedi’s troubles started when he tried to intervene on behalf of his fellow learner who was being bullied and tormented by a group of rogue learners from the selfsame Pelotona High School.
“These rogue elements have joined forces with other youth who are no longer learners at Pelotona and they terrorise all learners in the Mawiga area, especially learners of Pelotona High School,” explained Molamu.
“Seeing that Ofentse prevented them from tormenting the said learner, the rogue elements retreated to reinforce themselves in large numbers so as to gang up against Moganedi,” said Molamu.
According to Molamu, the rogue learners came back driving in a van and forced the school bus wherein Moganedi and other learners were traveling to stop and thereafter pulled Moganedi out of the bus, beat him up, stripped him naked and tore his school uniform into threads before throwing him on the back of the van and driving around with him naked for everybody to see.
“This incident took place in March this year and it left Moganedi traumatised beyond redemption, “said Molamu.
He said the boy’s mother Boitumelo Moganedi reported the matter to the SGB and Principal of Pelotona High School, but she was told that there was nothing the school could do about the matter as the incident had taken place outside the premises of the school.
“The mother then opened a case against the rogue learners who humiliated his son Ofentse at the local Terminus police station but up until today the rogue elements have not been arrested,” he said.
He said as if their humiliation of Ofentse on that fateful day in March was not enough, the rogue learners continued to torment him almost every day and no action was taken by the police, the SGB and the principal of Pelotona High School despite Moganedi reporting this matter to them countless times.
“Obviously out of hopelessness and frustration Ofentse hanged himself earlier this month and was buried a day before he would have sat for his Matric examinations,” said Molamu as he pointed out that Moganedi was an A-student who had passed his preliminary Matric exams with five distinctions and was obviously going to do very well in the actual final Matric examinations.
He lamented the fact that while Moganedi lies buried in a grave, his tormentors are being allowed to write their Matric exams.
Moganedi called for the disbanding of the Pelotona High School SGB and for swift action to be taken against the school’s principal and the police at Terminus police station for their careless attitude towards Ofentse Moganedi’s predicament.
“We are aware about this sad incident and have launched an investigation into circumstances surrounding the matter,” said Gauteng Education Spokesperson Steve Mabona in response to Tshwane Talks’ query regarding Ofentse Moganedi’s tragic death.
“Bullying is bad and not acceptable in our schools, hence we have programmes whereby we create awareness about the dangers of bullying, and we discourage it at all times,” said Mabona.
At the time of publishing this story Gauteng Police Spokesperson Mavela Masondo had not yet responded to Tshwane Talks’ questions which included whether the police were aware of alleged inaction by their fellow policemen at the Terminus police station which indirectly led to Moganedi committing suicide.
“We are living in an evil world; the Mawiga area is rotten; I put the blame for Ofentse’s death at the doorstep of the Terminus police station and also that of Pelotona High School authorities and SGB,” fumed a resident who wished to remain anonymous.
“These rogue learners at Pelotona High School and all schools in Mabopane are remote-controlled by drugs and it seems like this is the government’s plan to destroy black South African children as no action is ever taken against these out-of-line learners all over the country,” he said.