Learners who drowned at Pretoria discipline camp allegedly abused

The families of two learners who drowned at a discipline camp in Centurion in Pretoria allege the boys were abused at the camp.

The boys, Siphamandla Peterson (15) and Sibusiso Sibiya (17), two Daveyton Skills School learners, drowned during a discipline camp at Rock Falls Adventure Ranch in Centurion on Monday.

The camp was run by a non-governmental organisation called the Rising Stars Generation.

According to the Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE) spokesperson, Steve Mabona, the learners’ families have alleged that the pupils were physically assaulted and mistreated.

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane visited the school and the learners’ families on Wednesday.

“The family brought it to our attention that the kids were [allegedly] abused and assaulted there [at the camp] as part of the exercise.”

The GDE has appointed an independent investigative law firm to probe the circumstances surrounding the learners’ deaths.

“It was a discipline camp. There are other forms of [alleged] abuse that the family raised with us. The law firm will investigate all of this and report back to us.

“[Based on the findings of the law firm], we will report this to the police or the Department of Community Safety if we must.

“It is quite unfortunate that we did not get this information [about pupils being allegedly assaulted at camp] from the principal. Ideally, we were supposed to get this from the principal.”

MEC Chiloane expressed his disappointment at some Gauteng schools for not taking extra precautionary measures to safeguard the lives of learners during excursions, as well as a lack of adherence to protocols about applying for excursions with the department.

He said disciplinary action would be taken against any person found to have acted negligently, contributing to this fatal incident.

The founder of the discipline camp, Prince Motlou, declined to comment on the allegations of abuse or about the learners’ deaths.

He said this was the ninth camp they have hosted since 2020.

According to information on the organisation’s website, the camps are designed to change the mindset of young people. The website says that how they think is what makes them behave a certain way.

“The camp is not for troublesome kids only. The camp is for any kid. All kids will face challenges in life therefore we prepare them as young as they are so they will have knowledge of ways of life. For example, if your child is not smoking that’s good, but your child still needs to learn why smoking is bad for him/her.”

“The Rising Stars Generation is a Youth Development NPO that trains young people to become leaders of change and competent in their own fields. Drill out the talent and install discipline.”