DA calls for tightened security at KZN schools

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal has called for security to be tightened at schools after a teacher was fatally gunned down at a school in Durban.

The DA’s KZN MPL, Dr Imran Keeka said the party was deeply disturbed by the shooting of a teacher at a school in Folweni, south of Durban, earlier this morning.

According to reports, an unknown man allegedly entered the school property and fired several shots at a 48-year-old male educator. The teacher was declared dead at the scene.

The DA extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and also to those within the school community who were witness to such a horrific incident, Keeka said.

“This tragic occurrence has once again highlighted the breakdown in proper security at many KZN schools. While most do have some form of security, the standard of protection often leaves much to be desired, placing both staff and learners at risk. The DA has seen this time and again during its oversight inspections of KZN’s schools. It is critical that anybody who is not recognised as someone working at or attending the school is stopped and searched. Clearly, this did not take place this morning,” Keeka said.

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The DA will on Tuesday write to KZN education MEC Khwazi Mshengu to request that he undertake a full security audit of the schools in the province and that the findings of such an audit be presented to KZN’s education portfolio committee within the next three months, Keeka said.

“We will also request that he turn his attention to the fact that, in some instances, school governing bodies (SGB’s) appear to be entering into security contracts or employing guards without the necessary vetting or the required training. This has to be stopped and the MEC needs to notify all SGB’s of the need to ensure that security is properly assessed before being appointed. In the event that this is not done, it is SGB’s who must be held answerable if anything goes wrong,” Keeka said.

The main opposition in the province, the Inkatha Freedom Party, also called for urgent action to be taken to address unruly behaviour in KZN schools.

The party demanded that Mshengu present a detailed plan on how he intended to deal decisively with unruly learners in schools.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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