Laaities from a Mitchells Plain school gave up their break on Wednesday to call on skollie s to stop the violence amid ongoing gang fights.
Shortly after 10am, children and staff at Alpine Primary in Beacon Valley gathered at the fence with posters reading: “Give me books, not bullets”, “Stop the killing” and “We want peace”.
The school was shut for two days last week due to shootings and gang funerals in the area. Several parents admitted they were too scared to send their children to school after 10 people were killed in one week.
According to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) the affected schools included Alpine Primary, Beacon View Primary, Imperial Primary and Oval North High.
On Tuesday, parents reported a shooting outside Imperial Primary at about 1pm just as Grade R pupils were leaving the school.
Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana says officers responded to the shooting in Peugeot Street where they found two men, aged 19 and 25, with gunshot wounds.
“Both victims were taken to a medical facility for treatment. No arrests so far.”
WCED spokesperson, Jessica Shelver, says the attendance figures have improved since last week.
A 57-year-old mother who lives near to Alpine Primary says everyone fears for their lives.
“Last week all of us were scared to send our children to school because on it’s the Nice Times, the Spoilt Brats, the 28s and they are all fighting with each other. The skollies don’t care about the children and just walk onto the schools. We heard about old men putting on uniforms so they can hide between the children when they shoot.”