Eldos residents in shock after school shootings
Gauteng Education (GDE) Spokesperson has confirmed that they are aware of the both incidents at the two schools.
The recent school shooting incidents that occurred at Willow Crescent Secondary School and Boekenhout Primary School in Eldorado Park have sparked fears and panic among teachers, parents, and learners.
This comes after gang members opened fire inside the school premises on August 14.
Parents were horrified to learn that armed assailants entered the grounds of Willow Crescent Secondary School in Eldorado Park and opened fire, leaving educators and learners traumatised.
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On August 14, Soweto Urban received a video and a voice recording from a concerned resident, alarming other parents about the incident and urging them to quickly check on their children.
In the video, a group of frightened learners can be seen fleeing from the school grounds where the shooting reportedly occurred; however, the shooting was not caught on camera.
This was followed by a written request by ActionSA, appealing to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and South African Police Service (SAPS) to deploy additional resources to ensure the safety of learners across schools in Eldorado Park, a community that has been plagued by recurring shootings.
Concerned by the reoccurring shootings, ActionSA Member of Parliament, Dereleen James expressed that this latest incident has sent shockwaves through a community that is already ravaged by violence.
She said on the very same day (August 14) at Lancea Vale Secondary, a nearby school, gang fights resulted in the stabbing and injury of a learner.
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Marking a worrying escalation of violence, the safety of children in schools is at serious risk, she explained.
“Parents are rightly frustrated and left without confidence that sufficient protection is in place to ensure that their children are in a protected and conducive learning environment,” said James.
Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) Spokesperson, Steve Mabona said the GDE was aware of and deeply concerned about shooting incidents at the two schools.
“The information at our disposal reveals that a boy from Kliptown Secondary School gained access to Willow Crescent Secondary with a knife, along with three other boys from the community, including a learner of Willow Crescent who is alleged to be a gang member.
“This resulted in a confrontation among the groups and shots were fired within the school premises.
“Subsequently, the identified learners were immediately suspended and a disciplinary hearing has been scheduled accordingly,” said Mabona in a statement.
He said the GDE can confirm that on August 15, the schools resumed as normal and police were onsite to monitor the situation.
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“We strongly condemn any acts of misconduct that seek to undermine the dignity of our learning institutions. Schools are urged to enforce their codes of conduct to deal with disciplinary matters. The Department continues to appeal to parents to assist in enforcing discipline in and outside the school environment.”
ActionSA said it was further alarmed by the reality that gang violence has infiltrated schools, with learners caught in the crossfire between rival gangs.
“In light of the escalating gun violence affecting the community of Eldorado Park, there is an urgent need for the SAPS to intensify the search and seizure of illegal guns in the area, where the continued proliferation of guns presents a clear and present danger to the lives of children in the community.”
The party believes that at the centre of efforts to restore order at schools must be a coordinated effort by both the DBE and the DSD to identify at-risk learners and ensure they receive the necessary support, especially in cases where they come from homes affected by substance use.
“ActionSA will continue to fight to ensure that every possible intervention is implemented to prevent any parent from having to bury their son or daughter due to this violence,” James concluded.
The Johannesburg District Police were unavailable to comment at the time Soweto Urban went to print.
