Gauteng education never offered us R10m – Enock Mpianzi’s parents

The parents of Enock Mpianzi, the Parktown Boys’ High School pupil who drowned during an orientation camp at the beginning of the year, say the department of education has not offered them R10 million.

On Sunday, Gauteng MEC for education Panyaza Lesufi said the department could not meet their claim of R20 million.

On Monday, the parents’ legal representation slammed the MEC following what they described as a false claim.

“Lesufi’s comment about the compensation is false,” Wikus Steyl from Ian Levitt Attorneys told The Citizen. “They never made a R10 million offer.”

Steyl said he did not know how Lesufi could claim the department had made such a high offer when it had been much lower.

“The department never made that offer. The offer they made was less than 5% of the amount claimed,” he said.

The parents’ claim had been R20 million from the start, “R10 million for each parent”, Steyl said.

Earlier this year Mpianzi, a Grade 8 Parktown Boys’ High School pupil, drowned at the orientation camp in Brits.

Speaking at a media briefing on Sunday, Lesufi said although the drowning was tragic, the department couldn’t afford to give the family what they were asking for.

“In addition, we gave the Mpianzi family an offer to settle the matter and they rejected it and issued a summons demanding R20 million.”

He further said the department was defending the matter.

Enock’s mother, Anto Mpianzi, did not want to comment about the MEC’s briefing.

Last week, she told The Citizen she was not happy about principal Malcolm Williams returning to work after being dismissed. She said the family wanted justice.

“Someone must be behind bars. To be fired is nothing,” she said.

Last week, current and previous parents at the school spoke out after Williams clocked in for work, despite being dismissed by the department.

In October, the Gauteng department of education announced that Williams had been fired after being found guilty of two counts of misconduct following the Nyati Bush and Riverbreak tragedy in January.

“The principal of Parktown Boys’ High School has appealed his dismissal verdict and remains in employment until his appeal process is finalised,” Lesufi announced at Sunday’s briefing.

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