Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has confirmed that the Daveyton Skills School principal will face a disciplinary hearing over the drowning of two pupils, Siphamandla Peterson, 15, and Sibusiso Sibiya, 17, while on a camp in Centurion in April this year.
On Tuesday, Chiloane shared the investigative report which probed the deaths of the pair who drowned during a discipline camp at Rock Falls Adventure Ranch in Centurion on April 15.
Chiloane said the department was not to be blamed for the excursion. According to the report, the principal did not follow procedure although she was well aware of what should be done to take learners to such excursions.
Thembekile Graham, speaking on behalf of Seanago Attorneys, said at the time the report was finalised, they had not received some answers from the owner of the ranch despite ir various follow-ups.
Graham said they were presented with various versions from the camp.
“The incident most likely took place after 2pm on April 15. The usual activities had taken place during the course of the day. Learners had done their laundry, others had finished a lesson on a car engine with the founder, Mr Motloung, some were sleeping, others were cooking. Most of the facilitators were scattered around the camp.
“A group of learners began to swim in the dam for a short while, either after requesting permission from Mr Motloung and being refused or after being given permission by him to swim.
“This is where the confusion arises because of the different versions of the learners.
“The two learners were among the group of learners who went to swim in the dam. Sphamandla was drowning as Sibusiso tried to save him, in the process Sibusiso drowned as well.
“The learners who were inside and around the dam were screaming and shouting and pointing at where the learners had disappeared in the water.
“Mr Motloung and some of the facilitators who heard the screams jumped into the dam and attempted to save the learners. O one of the facilitators almost drowned in the process, however, he was saved and subsequently resuscitated.
“At some point, sole facilitators requested the owner to drain the dam which he refused. Emergency personnel, including police divers, arrived and the farm area was evacuated,” she said.
Graham said the learners’ bodies were later recovered and paramedics pronounced them dead on the scene.
This trip was not approved by the department or by the district.
“No approval was granted by the department. The school did not submit any application for the trip, as required in terms of Regulation 7 of the tour regulations on domestic and international tours for learners at public schools.
“Crucial safety measures were as a result not adhered to by the school, and which could not be identified or corrected by the department,” said Graham from the law firm that investigated the incident.
It was picked up from the school’s SGB that they were not involved in the planning of the excursion. It was mentioned that they were newly elected and did not know what needed to be done.
Education spokesperson, Steve Mabona, said police are investigating the drowning.
“Police are investigating occurrences surrounding this incident. That is why we did not even get a post mortem report and the families have to request those,” said Mabona.
He said schools have insurance to cover incidents and should there be a need, the department will defend itself in case the families decide to sue. The family would need to be guided on his to access the claim.
“The schools have insurance, a death of a child under the custodianship of a school will need to assist them with the insurance process.
“If they (family) decide to sue the department… because they introduced the lawyers, we will also then have to present ourselves as a department because that process would then go to court,” Mabona said.
The Star
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