THE parents of only child Yandiswa Magwaza, a learner at Empangeni Preparatory School, are struggling to come to terms with the death of their daughter on Monday.
Yandiswa collapsed early on Monday and was taken to the school’s sick bay by teachers.
She never regained consciousness despite the best efforts of paramedics, teachers and even Link Pharmacy staff, who all administered CPR.
Yandiswa died at her school, just a week after starting Grade 5.
Now her parents must wait for an autopsy to determine why their daughter is dead.
Teachers and staff at the school have been barred from speaking to the media, but one educator agreed to speak on condition of anonymity.
‘I have never in my life witnessed the kind of pain felt by those parents. We were all sobbing uncontrollably.’
Yandiswa has been described as a ‘sweetheart’, a young girl who was as beautiful as she was kind.
Yet no one knows why she died so suddenly, at the tender age of 11.
Meanwhile, academic activity returned to normal on Tuesday and a trauma counsellor will be at the school to speak with staff and learners who are most affected.
KZN MEC for Education Mthandeni Dlungwana has expressed his condolences.
‘It is so sad that at the beginning of the year we have already lost a pupil who went to school to shape her future,’ said Kwazi Mthetwa, spokesperson for the MEC.
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