Deputy principal ‘on the run’ after locking kids in safe; council calls for his head

North West’s South African Youth Council (SAYC) has called for the deputy principal of Kwena-ya Madiba High School, located in Jericho, Brits, to be fired after he allegedly locked four learners in a safe.

“In our view, it’s attempted murder!” the council declared.

It was reported that the incident took place on Tuesday as he was about knock off at the school.

“As SAYC, we call on North West education MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela to act swiftly and ensure the deputy principal in question is sacked immediately.

“He has demonstrated his intolerance and incapabilities to deal with children,” the council said in a statement on Thursday.

They also urged the parents of the learners who were locked up to register criminal cases against the deputy principal.

“It is our strong conviction that a tragedy was averted when parents decided to break into the school, destroying a safe in the process, and rescue the learners. What could have happened? Can we all imagine? How were they going to survive being locked in a safe that has no air ventilation?” the council asked.

The council requested that the community members of Jericho inform authorities if they see the deputy principal, since he allegedly disappeared.

“We understand that deputy principal Sereme is nowhere to be found so we appeal to all members of our society who might be knowledgeable of his whereabouts to inform authorities so that he can come to answer.

“The South African Youth Council notes the frustrations of parents and educators who have since been stripped of the most effective discipline mechanism (corporal punishment), which was replaced with nothing, thus reducing them to spectators of misbehaving kids. But nothing can justify the actions of the deputy principal.

“The South African Youth Council is an apex body of youth formations in South Africa. As such, it is within our mandate to speak on behalf of all young people in this province and country.”

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