Hoërskool Nelspruit’s pupils face nightmare ordeal at school hostel

According to police spokesman Lt-Col Erhard Stroh, the Ggrade 10 pupil was asleep in her bed at about 4am. It is believed an intruder gained access through a window on the second storey, Lowvelder reports.

According to the police, the girl and her roommates had been studying until about midnight. She woke up from a noise, and saw the man in the room.

READ MORE: WATCH: Eldos residents furious over alleged attempted kidnapping of schoolgirl

“She attempted to wake up the other girls.

“The suspect saw she was awake and jumped onto her bed.

“He grabbed her around her throat with one hand and demanded her phone. She said she did not have one. He threatened to kill her if she was lying,” said Stroh.

The roommates woke up and made a commotion, which frightened off the intruder. He fled through the window.

Spokesperson for the school Aliche Bezuidenhout confirmed the incident at Huis Maré on the school’s grounds.

She said nobody was injured, and nothing was stolen.

She added that the hostel was not evacuated as a result of the incident. “It happened around 04:00. A private security company and police were contacted and responded immediately. The suspect was caught on CCTV footage.”

Bezuidenhout stated that although the hostel and the school already had adequate security in place, they were now “installing the latest technology to avoid future incidents”.

Hi-Tech Security Nelspruit operations manager Nico Grobler said they responded to the scene and found footage for a possible suspect in the case.

He said they did an assessment of the school and hostel’s security, and made recommendations to improve security further.

The school is known for taking action to create a safe environment for pupils. During a police raid of a boys’ hockey team bus at the school last week, a packet of the drug, cat, was discovered. From its location, it was not clear to whom it belonged.

NHS principal Johan Hattingh said the school’s first line of defence was to be proactive against any potential influences or usage of substances that are bad for the learners, reiterating that this behaviour would not be tolerated.

“In any case where we suspect that there are illegal substances on the school grounds, the drug squad from the SAPS will be called to remove these substances and to enforce the disciplinary code of this school. This can lead to a possible suspension of the learner,” he said.

“Any pupil who comes onto the school grounds is prohibited from being in possession of or under the influence of banned substances. The school is aware of the increasing availability of banned substances in Mbombela and that learners can innocently get involved in using them. In these cases, the learner and his or her parents will be supported by the school and other professional entities,” Hattingh concluded.

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.