Teaching and learning disrupted in Alexandra schools
ALEXANDRA – Unconfirmed and false social media messages have sparked panic among parents in Alex and the Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson, Steve Mabona, has issued a statement on video, calling for calm and telling parents not to take their children out of schools as the social media messages are untrue.
Teaching and learning in Alexandra schools was disrupted today, 4 September, as parents came to fetch their children early when social media messages alleged that foreign nationals have vowed revenge by kidnapping children in schools after their shops were torched and looted in different parts of the Gauteng province.
None of these messages have been confirmed to be true and the Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson, Steve Mabona, issued a statement on video, calling on parents not to take children out of the schools saying the reports are untrue.
One of the teachers from a local school, who asked to remain anonymous, said they could not stop parents if they felt that their children were not safe.
“They told us that foreign nationals [allegedly] wanted to pay revenge by kidnapping children,” the teacher said.
The township has been hit by widespread looting targeted at businesses which resulted in extensive damage and some shops burnt to the ground. Local authorities have said the looting was an element of criminality.
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