Gauteng Department of Basic Education spokesperson Steve Mabona has described the recent fatal stabbings of two learners as “absolutely heartbreaking,” with communities in Lenasia and Johannesburg gripped by grief and fear following the violent deaths just days apart.
The latest incident involved a matric (Grade 12) pupil from Daleview Secondary School in Lenasia, who was stabbed to death on Monday while walking home through an open field (veld) near the school precinct. According to Mabona, the stabbing occurred outside school grounds but within the broader school area. Police have narrowed their investigation to two learners who were with the victim and interacted with authorities yesterday. Weapons were reportedly found in a school bag that was later handed over to the police.
Mabona visited the victim’s family on Tuesday, where he witnessed profound pain. The father, who works close to the school and usually accompanies his son to and from classes, was called to the scene and found the child in an “unbearable state.” The family is devastated and has indicated they will need support for the funeral, which they intend to hold this week. The department has offered reassurance and plans to reach out to good Samaritans for assistance, as it does not fund such matters directly.
Mabona stressed that this case differs from other incidents because the people of interest are fellow learners. “There’s a lot at stake when coming to the involvement of our children in this matter,” he said, highlighting the broader issue of criminality and the growing rise in school-related stabbings.
Just days earlier, on Friday 20 March, a 17-year-old Grade 8 pupil from Forest High School in Johannesburg was severely beaten and stabbed at a nearby park (Rotunda Park). This attack was allegedly carried out by a group of non-schooling young boys who have been terrorising multiple schools in the area, targeting learners and even teachers in attempts to rob them. It was not a learner-on-learner confrontation.
Mabona noted that the department has engaged with the principal and is reaching out to the Department of Community Safety and the police to increase visibility around the affected schools, particularly between 7am and 9am, and between 2pm and 4pm, when Grade 12 learners finish late. He said these boys appear to move between schools, and stronger policing is needed to deter such criminal elements.
As a result of the Forest High School incident, Grade 8 and Grade 9 pupils have been staying away from classes out of fear, severely disrupting schooling in the community. Mabona described the situation as one of “absolute terror” for parents, pupils, and the schools themselves.
He also referenced a similar stabbing the previous week at Badirile Secondary School in Khutsong, Carletonville, where a learner lost his life in a violent altercation between pupils.
Mabona emphasised that while the department provides support to grieving families, the police are leading the investigations. He appealed for calm and reiterated the need for greater safety measures to protect learners, especially those walking home after school.
The two latest deaths have sent shockwaves through Gauteng’s schooling communities, renewing calls for urgent action against the escalating violence involving knives and criminal activity near schools.
