“A small contribution such as checking what is in your child’s school bag every day, can go a long way,” she said in a statement.
“Open communication between learners and parents and teachers can also assist to detect any signs of bullying or abuse at school.”
An 18-year-old Grade 11 pupil shot dead a fellow student at Phineas Xulu Secondary School, in Vosloorus, Boksburg, on Tuesday.
The firearm belonged to his mother, a metro police officer.
The 18-year-old was allegedly bullied by his victim, a Grade 10 pupil, and two other boys. They had stolen his cap and cellphone the previous day.
The youth shot dead the Grade 10 pupil in class on Tuesday.
Motshekga sent condolences to his family.
The Grade 11 pupil will appear in the Vosloorus Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on charges of murder and possession of a firearm.
Ekurhuleni mayor Mondli Gungubele condemned the shooting.
“This is an extremely shocking incident, and it could not have come at a worse time, considering that the children are writing their final examination,” he said.
“Such [conduct] cannot be tolerated in our schools.”
He said the Gauteng department of education was working to quickly bring the school back to normal, to allow examinations to be concluded.
Gungubele said parents, community organisations, churches, political parties and young people should come together to confront problems faced by pupils.
Meanwhile, The IFP in Gauteng has expressed its sadness about the incident.
“As a party, we believe that the Department of Education should join in and look at the causes of bullying and find solutions to those. Despite the Gauteng MEC of Education’s acknowledgement of the severity of bullying at schools earlier this
year, very little has been done to address and eradicate bullying, ” says IFP Caucus Leader in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, Bonginkosi Dhlamini.”
“Such cases where a learner get frustrated by recurring torment from another learner and resort to acquiring a firearm illegally and use it to avenge for himself, should not be happening in any part of this province. And the fact that it is, shows that
we choose to ignore and be spectators of societal destruction.”
Says Dhlamini: “Bullying is certainly on a rise at schools and need to be down sized immediately, since it does not only brunt those directly involved, but fellow learners as well.
Case in point the shooting in Vosloorus disrupted examination proceedings and would have most likely brought a psychological unrest to those who witnessed this distasteful incident.”
