Allegedly poisoned learner, Nomfundo was laid to rest at Mooifontein Cemetery

The Mooifontein Cemetery housed the funeral of Nomfundo Palesa ‘Tlyer’ Khumalo, a 14-year-old learner of Pinnacle College Kyalami (PCK).

The Grade 9 learner was allegedly poisoned on April 8, and spent the next few weeks in a coma before passing away on April 25.

Her family, friends, schoolmates, and the community gathered at Hope Restoration Ministries Tembisa on May 1, to pay their last respects to the young and bright soul, before accompanying her to her final resting place.

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Nomfundo’s mother, Gugulethu Khumalo, describes her daughter as a vibrant and outspoken individual who had a beautiful smile.

“She was a keen sports enthusiast who enjoyed playing hockey and netball. Besides that, she was an ardent fashion lover and was known for her outspoken and lively personality,” said Gugulethu with a broken heart.

She is certain that her daughter was poisoned at the school saying the doctors confirmed that Nomfundo had been poisoned from something she ate during the day on April 8.

“She was complaining about a headache and feeling lightheaded after netball; she later started getting worse and vomiting. She was then taken to Fourways Life after she had collapsed. She was in a coma from April 8 until April 25 when she passed away,” Gugulethu explained.

“I cannot describe the pain and trauma this has caused us as a family, I cannot even sleep at night.”

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As the family and community continue to seek answers and justice for the death of this bright soul, a case has been opened at Midrand police.

What hurts Gugulethu even more is that the school principal only reached out to her following Nomfundo’s death.

“They [PCK] only offered to assist with the case when the school started trending. I notified the school of Nomfumdo’s hospitalisation on April 9, but the principal had not once checked in. The boarding house mother has been the only person checking in. On April 26, it was the very first time the principal reached out to send his condolences.”

PCK executive head of school, John Pilkington said on April 25, the school was informed about the untimely passing of Nomfundo.

“This very sad news was communicated to our school community and her funeral service was attended by students and staff on May 1st,” said Pilkington.

“We have since become aware of the allegations circulating on social media platforms regarding the cause of her death. At this time, we are not able to provide any comment as neither the family nor any authorities have approached school management to investigate these allegations.”

Pilkington added that the school has also reached out to the family with the request to meet and will fully cooperate with any investigations that take place.

“The safety and well-being of students at our school will always remain our top priority. We again extend our sincerest condolences to family and friends and request that all respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”
The Gauteng Department of Education is aware of the incident and has asked for more time to offer a more comprehensive statement.

The Midrand Reporter reached out to the district spokesperson, Captain Jeff Phora to inquire on the type of case that has been opened and the progress of the investigations.

However, despite making numerous attempts to contact the authorities for their response since May 3, the publication had not received any reply from the authorities by the time of going to print.

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