Enock Mpianzi forensic report makes damning findings against school and bush lodge

A forensic report into the death of Enock Mpianzi has found negligence and liablity on the part of Parktown Boys’ High School and the venue where he drowned in a river during a Grade 8 camp in January.

The Gauteng department of education first met with the Mpianzi family ahead of the release of the forensic report into his death.

The report, which was compiled by Harris Nupen Molebatsi Attorneys, was meant to be released two weeks ago. However, two hours before the release, the department said it had consulted Enock’s family and found that it would be “insensitive to release the report without their blessings”.

Enock, 13, was swept away in the Crocodile River while attending a Grade 8 orientation camp at Nyati Bush and River Break Lodge, near Brits in North West, on 15 January 2020. He was last seen when a makeshift raft he and other boys were on overturned just hours after arriving at the camp.

The forensic report has pointed the finger at both the school and the Nyati Bush and River Lodge in North West where Mpianzi drowned.

The investigators recommended that the headmaster and some teachers should face a disciplinary hearing and that the school also be held liable for the negligence. The school governing body was also in the wrong for allowing the camp to proceed without being authorised.

The Nyati Bush and River Lodge may also be held liable for not taking steps to mitigate dangerous and reckless conditions.

Even by late on Wednesday, education MEC Panyaza Lesufi asked the media to leave the venue so he could speak to the school’s parents first before announcing the outcome.

The release of the report finally went ahead as scheduled on Wednesday evening.

Mabona had earlier denied that the release of the report went against the wishes of the family, as earlier reported, saying the department wanted what was best for the family.

Lesufi told EWN: “We met with the family two weeks ago and presented a programme on how we wanted to release the report and, at that time, there were no objections. We needed the family to also be part of the process of being interviewed, so that their views could be included in the report.

It was also reported that the Mpianzi family said they would not take any action to stop the release of the report; however, they would have preferred more time to go through it.

He said comments made to the media about the family not being consulted were misleading, and that the department had been in constant contact with the family. The matter was being treated with the necessary sensitivity.

But the family’s lawyer, Ian Levitt, told News24 on Tuesday that the announcement of the release of the report should have been made after meeting with the family, and not before.

“They should have met with our clients and then made an announcement. To assume that my clients will give their blessings is extremely unfortunate,” Levitt said.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.