The department claims that drunk residents who pretended to be parents drove away in two combis, a half truck and a small bakkie, allegedly with 162 pupils.  

The MEC, Mmaphefo Matsemela, claims that the said people abducted the pupils. However, police spokesperson, Adéle Myburgh, says the police are not aware of the claims that kids were abducted because no case of abduction was ever opened with them. This is despite the school principal who opened a case of malicious damage to property with the Rustenburg police on Wednesday morning but not of abduction.

In a statement, the Department of Education says “the latest incident of the alleged abduction of learners happened on Tuesday night, 18 January 2022, at around 20:00, wherein a mob of drunk people, pretending to be parents, arrived in two Combis, a half truck and a small bakkie.

When the perpetrators arrived at the gate they found the security guards and they refused to produce their identities to indicate whether they were genuine parents of learners or not. A commotion ensued when they could not produce proof of identity and they broke the small gate of the school.

Matsemela has strongly condemned the incident and indicated that the perpetrators should be brought to book.

“This is the second incident at a boarding school. The first incident happened at the Naauwpoort Mega Farm School when 54 learners were abducted and cases of malicious damage to property and abduction were opened with the police. Only 10 learners stood their ground and refused to go with the mob. They indicated that they can't go without the permission of their parents. The department has arranged counselling for the remaining learners,” Matsemela further adds.

OFM News