The Ntabankulu Primary School shooting which claimed the lives of three teachers has sparked a firestorm of controversy, with some community members defending the actions of the dismissed deputy principal who gunned the women down. While some areoutragedby the senseless violence, others sympathise with the shooter’s perceived grievances, going as far as saying “he has killed fewer teachers instead of having killed all the 23 teachers at the school”. Some of the teachers, including school principal Mbuyiselo Gono, who the shooter allegedly wanted to kill, consequently fear for their lives and are considering resigning and leaving the school.
The implied threats have left teachers traumatised. The shooting victims included Nontombizonke Nonkondlo, 52, a state witness in a sexual assault case against Gcaba. The others are Nolumanyano Nonyameko Matanzima, 64, and Buyiswa Nkqayi-Diko, 52.
Matanzima was due to retire in June. During the funeral of Nonkondlo at Magqagqeni village in Ntabankulu on Saturday, tears rolled down the face of the school principal. “The department seem to be moving slowly and our lives are at stake. “We urge all other sectors to also intervene to ensure that the lives of teachers and learners are safe at school, and nothing like this or worse happens at this school again,” Gono said.
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