Enoch Mpianzi: How Parktown Boys’ High School and lodge erred

As anger continues to mount against the leadership of Parktown Boys’ High School, there have been calls for the suspension of the principal, while an expert has weighed in on where the school may have gone wrong before the death of one of their pupils last week.

Enoch Mpianzi, one of the school’s new batch of Grade 8 pupils, drowned during an orientation camp last Wednesday.

Mpianzi reportedly went missing when a raft was overturned in the Crocodile River. However, he was only reported missing the following day and his body was discovered on Friday.

An expert in occupational health and safety industry, who asked to remain anonymous in order to protect his company, told The Citizen the principal was “ultimately accountable” for the tragedy that had befallen the school as the children were under the care of him and the teachers.

He said it was difficult to comment as a professional because he had not seen the site in order to give an accurate analysis.

He added there were a lot of things that he would have to consider, including the management of potential risks and whether they were controlled or not.

Having worked as a teacher before entering his present industry, the anonymous source said he understood the importance of asking questions that a parent would ask of the teacher in charge.

“Would you allow a child to swim without the necessary gear, or check if they can’t swim?” is one of these.

He said there were also a lot of worrying aspects about what he knew about the incident, including the effectiveness of the indemnity form which, according to him, meant very little.

“There are a lot of things I would do with an indemnity form and signing it isn’t one of them,” he said. “As a parent, you are trusting the school to look after your child but the form says the school will not be responsible for any harm or damage involving your child?

“If a school wants to indemnify the children, then why not indemnify everything, from the moment the child enters the school, lunch breaks, everything?

“From a moral standpoint it makes no sense. Where is evidence that they tried to prevent him from drowning and other risks? The school must prove this.”

He maintained the resort was also accountable as the incident happened on its premises and the Occupational Health and Safety Act states that if an incident occurs in any facility, the owners will be responsible.

He explained that the resort management had to have gone through a process of risk assessments to mitigate all risks involving their facility, including procedures, policy, training employees on first aid, swimming lessons, putting control measures in place and more.

“If they knew they would be on rafts, they had to make sure that it was as safe as possible and know that they had to give [the pupils] life jackets,” he said.

Meanwhile, civil rights organisation Women & Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA) yesterday demanded the suspension of the principal, pending the outcome of an investigation launched by the department of education.

“Why, if a roll call was done immediately after the water activity, wasn’t anyone sent back to the river and a thorough search and rescue initiated?” asked WMACA director Miranda Jordan.

“It has been reported that the principal called the family to ask if Enoch had been on the trip. We are calling for the immediate suspension of the headmaster, pending the proper criminal investigation into the matter.

“A multitude of adults have failed to exercise their very first responsibility towards their young charges – to keep them safe while under their care.”

Gauteng department of education spokesperson Steve Mabona said: “An independent [inquiry] has been established to conduct an investigation on this matter and, as such, we will await for the outcome, which will assist the MEC to make an informed decision.”

School governing body asks for time

With no word yet from the school’s principal, the Parktown Boys’ High School governing body (SGB) said a legal team had been appointed to investigate what it termed “a tragedy beyond measure”.

The SGB said that although the school and the public at large had been affected by the incident, it paled in comparison to the pain felt by Enoch Mpianzi’s family “to whom Parktown Boys’ High School is offering every level of support within our means”.

The SGB said its primary focus, in what it calls “raw early days” since the tragic drowning, was to provide the pupils and staff present at the camp with the support they needed.

“We understand that there are many unanswered questions, causing much hurt and frustration. We ask that the school is allowed the time and space to grieve, while ensuring that Enoch’s life is respected through supporting the investigations,” the SGB concluded.

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