PTA North school claims to be snake infested

Snakes are allegedly terrorising people at the Soshanguve school.

Learners say the python story is a ruse to prevent them from going to the bushes

The sighting of a “giant” python has rattled a Soshanguve school.

Dorah Phala, a vendor at the school in Block BB, told Pretoria North Record how she had stumbled upon the python.

“I was heading towards the classes when I saw this big snake which spanned the entire width of the pathway.”

She said snakes were likely to make their way to the school grounds from the bush and tall grass surrounding the school.

“It was not the first time I saw a snake at the school, but this was the biggest one I have ever seen,” said Phala.

“I became so scared that I ran and shouted for help.”

Principal Judith Mashala notified the department of education of the sighting.

The department, in turn, contacted the national zoological gardens, requesting the assistance of snake catchers who came to the school on 12 February.

“The snake catchers could only find the snake’s trail, but no snakes were found,” said Gauteng department of education spokesperson Steve Mabona.

Johannes Mtsweni, a security guard at the school, said he had seen a few snakes at the school previously.

“I was sitting in the guardhouse at the gate when I saw two snakes,” said Mtsweni.

“They were not pythons, but they were long and crossed the driveway towards the guardroom, then disappeared into the bushes behind the guardroom.”

“I no longer sit inside the guardhouse, as I do not want to find myself trapped inside should something like that happen again,” he said.

The school’s learners, however, laughed off suggestions there was a python around the school, saying it is a ploy by teachers to stop them from wandering from school grounds.“We normally go to the bushes to smoke and bunk classes. The teachers do not like that, so that is why I think they made up the python story,” said Thapelo Baloyi (20).

Another learner Pontsho Motebo (16) said: “We know there are snakes around the school, but I personally have never seen the python.”