Angry teachers and parents at a Manenberg school have called for urgent intervention by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) after the school was closed this week due to gang fights.
Scared children at Manenberg High School ran home on Monday morning after skollies from rival gangs were seen running with knives and guns on the school grounds, while teachers say skollie pupils are vandalising their cars.
On Tuesday teachers and parents picketed outside the school.
Teachers, pupils and their parents protesting outside Manenberg High School on Tuesday. Picture: Monique Duval
Teachers say they fear for their lives as skollie pupils have divided the school ground into “drug turf” to sell dagga stoppe and entjies.
On Monday, Grade 12 pupils who came to write control tests in preparation for the matric exams in October had to be sent home for their own safety.
“It is really bad here. We had a meeting with the WCED Safer Schools, the Community Police Forum and Metro Police where we explained what is happening on the school.
“There are children who are part of gangs and there is one specific group who call themselves agge[28s] and they rule the school.
“They get involved in fights over turf and outsiders just jump the fence and walk into classrooms,” said an SGB member.
After the meeting, “big Nigerian” security guards were placed at the school, but the SGB says they are no match for the violent teen skollies.
“They are not armed so the skollies just do what they want to. We need proper Law Enforcement officers who know how to tackle these laaities.”
Rival gangs forced the school to be shut down. Picture: Monique Duval
On Friday, gangsters stormed the admin block trying to attack a pupil.
“Then later in the day the gang that boy belongs to retaliated and stabbed another one just outside the school.
“On Monday there was another retaliation where another learner was almost stabbed and there was a whole commotion and the school had to be closed after first interval.”
Scared teachers say spiteful skollies are even vandalising their cars.
“They make two wheels pap so even if you have a spare you still can’t drive. The WCED needs to do something urgently,” says one teacher.
WCED spokesperson, Jessica Shelver, says: “Law Enforcement has now placed two full-time guards at the school during school hours and workshops have been organised for teachers on how to deal with discipline and the stresses of the challenging environment and a camp was organised for the most challenging learners.”