Gauteng pupil arrested for allegedly shooting principal

A 13-year-old boy has been arrested after allegedly shooting the principal of Primrose Hill Primary School in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, on Friday morning.

According to police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, the 51-year-old school principal was taken to a local hospital.

The boy is a Grade 6 pupil at the school.

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The Gauteng Education Department said the shooting happened after the principal saw pupils sitting in the foyer and told them to take out their workbooks to study.

“The Grade 6 learner allegedly mumbled something in response, but the principal ignored him. He saw the learner again later near the staff room, which is when he was unfortunately shot by him with a firearm,” said Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane.

Circumstances that led to the shooting incident are unknown at this stage. Police have launched an investigation into the incident and to also establish the origin of the firearm. It is alleged that the firearm belongs to the parent of the pupil.

Police have seized the firearm.

“We are taken aback by the nature of this incident and the manner in which it occurred, and we discourage such acts of misconduct at our schools. We will be invoking necessary disciplinary action against the learner, while also monitoring the principal’s condition to ensure that he returns to full health. Our plea is for parents to not refrain from instilling discipline in their children,” said Chiloane.

The teenager is expected to appear before the Germiston Magistrate’s Court on a charge of attempted murder.

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Last year, the Gauteng Department of Education deployed patrollers to several schools in Dobsonville following reports of an unknown group terrorising schools in the area.

This followed an Urban News report in August, detailing an incident at the George Khosa Secondary School, where a group of armed males forcefully entered the school through the front gates and proceeded to a few classrooms creating chaos.

“Our psycho-social support team was dispatched to the school to provide the necessary support. Learners and staff have been addressed, accordingly,” said GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona at the time.

“As the department, we continue to strongly condemn any acts of misconduct by anyone which seeks to undermine the dignity of our learning institutions.

“We urge all stakeholders not to disrupt schooling as lost contact time is not easily recovered.”

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