DURBAN, KwaZulu-Natal — A devastating surge in KwaZulu-Natal school violence has left four people dead following five separate incidents in just ten days, prompting urgent appeals for community-led action to secure local learning environments.
The recent wave of tragedies includes a fatal robbery during the early hours of Saturday at Inanda Newtown Comprehensive High School. A group of assailants allegedly disarmed four security guards, bound their hands, and forced them into a strong room before ransacking the school’s staff room. During the confrontation, security guard Zulu was shot and killed.
Museni Zulu, the brother of the slain security guard, expressed the family’s profound disbelief and noted their current financial hardship regarding funeral arrangements. He emphasized that the school had historically been a safe haven, even during periods of broader community violence, making the fatal attack deeply disturbing.
“We don’t know what to do at this stage,” Mvuseni Zulu stated, adding that the senseless killing has shocked the entire community. He recalled that educators and protectors at the school had always ensured safety, making the sudden loss of his brother all the more jarring.
The violence extends beyond this single event. In separate incidents throughout September, a Grade 8 learner was stabbed to death by a fellow student at a High School in Ladysmith. At Ndengezi Intermediate School in Dundee, a Grade 10 learner was gunned down inside the school premises, allegedly by an individual disguised as a student. Additionally, three learners from a High School in the north of the province, were rushed to the hospital in serious condition after a gunman opened fire on them at the school gate.
In a fifth related tragedy, police confirmed that a teacher was found dead with stab wounds at her boyfriend’s residence in Montclair. Her boyfriend is currently under police guard in the hospital after an attempted suicide.
In response to the escalating crisis, the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department has convened an urgent meeting with school governing bodies, law enforcement, teacher unions, and student movements. A spokesperson for the department issued a passionate plea to the public, emphasizing that educational facilities belong to the community.
“Let’s protect our schools,” the spokesperson urged. “These schools are not for government. These schools are for the people.”
Authorities continue to investigate all five incidents as the province grapples with the urgent need to restore safety and stability to its educational institutions.
