Mpianzi family prepares summons to serve those found negligent in Enock’s death

The family of Enock Mpianzi, the 13-year-old who drowned during a Parktown Boys’ High School camp, are preparing a summons to serve those who were found to have acted negligently on the day Mpianzi died.

A lawyer representing the family has, according to EWN, prepared a summons to be served to the school and lodge.

In a forensic report released this week, the Parktown Boys’ High school principal, including other staffers, were found to have been negligent on several counts regarding the school trip to Nyati Bush and River Break Lodge.

The report found negligence and liability on the part of the school and the venue where Enock drowned.

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 was swept away in the Crocodile River while attending a Grade 8 orientation camp at the lodge 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 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 Break Lodge may also be held liable for not taking steps to mitigate dangerous and reckless conditions.

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.

It was earlier 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.

(Compiled by Gopolang Moloko, background reporting by News24 wire)

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