Free State principal drops case against pupil who stabbed him

A Free State school principal has dropped charges against a grade 10 pupil who allegedly stabbed him last week. The stabbing incident is said to have happened at Thabang Secondary School in Rammulotsi, in theFezile Dabi region. Free State police spokesperson Sgt Josephine Rani told Sowetan: “We were investigating the matter; however, the principal has dropped the charges against the learner.” A source close to the school told Sowetan the incident was sparked by fighting by initiationrival groups at the schooland the principal was stabbed when he intervened.

“The school is overcrowded and breeding gangs who are disruptive and have no regard for teachers or the principal.” According to the source, the school governing body is not functional to internal fights. Within the school, the pupils are fighting for supremacy because they are from different initiation schools, said the source. “What happened last week is that these rival gangs were fighting within the premises, and so the principal intervened and others jumped the fence.

“This was when a grade 10 learner stabbed him during the confrontation and ran away. They don’t see teachers as anything because some of them are their age, and teachers are scared of them. Even the police initiative ‘adopt a school’ is not active here,” the source told the publication.

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Dr Vusi Chuta,Free State department of educationdistrict director, said they are aware of the incident. However, their version of what happened is that the pupil jumped the school fence and went to the nearby shebeen. “On his return, the principal realised that he was still outside and couldn’t jump back.

He refused him entry until he presented at the school with his parents. “When the principal opened the gate at the end of the school day, the learner forced his way in and refused to take the instruction from the principal to fetch his parents. He then pulled out a pair of scissors from his pocket and stabbed the principal.” According to Chuta, the principal did not sustain major injuries.

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