Parents vow to shut school if pupil not allowed back

Parents at a New Brighton primary school have vowed to shut it down indefinitely from today, if a Grade 5 pupil is not allowed to return.

An enraged group of parents met at Stephen Mazungula Primary School on Friday and decided the special needs pupil, who cannot be named to protect his identity, must return today or they would shut the school down.

The incident follows shortly after school principal Nosikhumbuzo Mjekula allegedly slapped the pupil twice across the face on March 14.

Both the slapping incident and the pupil’s being sent home were allegedly as a result of him failing to adhere to instructions and ill-discipline. Mjekula declined to comment. The pupil’s mother said he was temporarily at another school until he received a place at Merryvale School for Specialised Education.

Speaking at Friday’s emergency meeting, Mjekula said the pupil was not cooperating.
“We are no longer capable of keeping him. We have kept many pupils with a similar challenge until they were placed, but now we have reached a point where we are no longer able to,” he said.

Tempers flared further when Mjekula left for a private meeting with the school governing body. Parents then held their own meeting, where their decision was made.

Police Constable Mcedi Mbombo confirmed a case of common assault had been opened on March 16 and was under investigation.

Eastern Cape education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the matter was being investigated.

The pupil’s mother said she had been asked by Mjekula to attend a meeting tomorrow to resolve all the issues.