Durban — While the family of Alwande Mdabe, 20, of uMlazi, held his funeral service recently, they were also probing the cause of his death allegedly at the hands of a school “bully”.
Last week, Alwande was allegedly strangled and beaten in the school toilet. He died the next day at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital.
His aunt Silindile Mdabe told the Daily News that Alwande had informed the family that he was being bullied at school by a certain pupil.
However, Mdabe said, that due to the importance of Grade 12, they encouraged Alwande to attend school, unaware of the severity of the matter.
Mdabe claimed that after the incident the family learnt that the pupil mentioned by Alwande threatened to “deal” with him after Alwande allegedly stepped on his shoe at school.
“His mother received a call from the school at around 2.30pm to inform her that there had been an incident at the school in the morning.
“When she arrived there, the teachers told her that they had called for an ambulance earlier,” she said.
Mdabe said the family is now probing what happened and why the school did not take appropriate medical care for Alwande.
“We are deeply saddened by his death and we are shocked at how long it took for the teachers to inform us about this incident,” Mdabe said.
Mdabe said she visited the school to express her disappointment. Mdabe said members of the community protested outside the school gates calling for the suspension of the accused pupil.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said that uMlazi police have arrested a 21-year-old suspect after a 20-year-old pupil was allegedly killed while at school in uMlazi G section.
Netshiunda said the suspect appeared in the uMlazi Magistrate’s Court on Monday. He did not know the outcome of the first appearance; neither did the family.
“Reports indicate that the suspect strangled and assaulted the victim after an argument.
“The victim sustained head injuries and was taken to hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries,” Netshiunda said.
KZN Department of Education spokesperson Sihle Mlotshwa said the department has asked the district to give it a comprehensive incident report. Mlotshwa said that bullying is a societal problem.
“We should all work together to fight it as well as other social ills that extend to the school communities,” he said.
The National School Governing Board (SGB) chairperson Matakanye Matakanya condemned bullying in school and expressed condolences to the Mdabe family.
“We say there should be a strengthened policy on bullying in schools. Parents should also parent and report issues at home to us, teachers and the police. That is why school kids go to school angry as they face many societal issues in silence however that does not have to be an excuse for such a shocking incident. This learner should face the might of the law,” said Matakanya.
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