Police fire rubber bullets, bishop prays as tension simmers at school over pupils' fight and racism claims

“All I want is peace and a healthy environment for the children.”

These were the words of Bishop Tekane Matome, chairperson of faith-based organisations on the West Rand, as police fired rubber bullets to disperse a volatile crowd outside Hoërskool Jan Viljoen in Randfontein on Monday.

Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi was at the school to investigate the cause of a violent fight there on Friday and subsequent allegations of racism.

While some parents chanted struggle songs and others stood with folded arms at the school gate, Matome stood on the sidelines praying.

“I am praying for peace and asking God to come into the hearts of every parent who is here to make them aware of the responsibility they have as parents, to know and understand they need to raise their children to be responsible people in society,” Matome told TimesLIVE.

Video footage of a fight between a male and female pupil has gone viral online.

Johan van Wyk, who was among a group of people outside the school, said some had arrived to protect the school and did not have children at the facility. He said he did not condone what happened on Friday, but was against destruction of property.

“I’m here to make sure nothing is broken because if it does get broken, it will need money to be fixed, money we don’t have,” he said.

Parent Andre Viljoen said he was there to ensure pupils were not hurt.

“The situation should never have arrived at where it is now. The school management should have dealt with it immediately and applied appropriate disciplinary measures on the perpetrators,” said Viljoen.

Another parent Lucia Mosia expressed anger and disappointment at how Lesufi was meeting the school governing body but not parents who had complained.

“We are the ones who called him here but he didn’t bother to meet us. We are the people who alerted him about what is happening here,” Mosia said.

She said she felt the school was protecting a perpetrator in the fight as it appeared no action had been taken against him.

“He should have been suspended already. Violence should not be tolerated. It is a boy who assaulted a girl. That is gender-based violence.”

This is a developing story.

TimesLIVE