The Department of Education has dispatched officials from the Psycho Social Unit to render counselling services to two Gauteng schools and the bereaved families of the deceased leaners.

This follows the death of a 17-year-old Grade 12 learner from Oorsrand Secondary School, Ekurhuleni, who was allegedly assaulted by a passenger in a taxi and jumped from a moving taxi in Germiston and died on the scene. Circumstances around the incident are being investigated by the police.

In another sad incident, an eight-year-old learner from Durban Primary School

was swept away by flash floods and drowned at Princess informal settlement in Roodepoort.

“We wish to convey our sincere condolences to all the bereaved families during this time of grief, indeed we started the 2020 academic year on a bad note, we have been experience a number of deaths and unfortunate incidents in our school environment.

“It must be said, for many years, we have never undergone through such an experience, indeed we are under siege, and are at a loss for words. This time around, we have no option but to call upon all spiritual denominations to come together and lead us in prayer, indeed we plead for divine intervention”. Said MEC Lesufi.

The two deaths bring the total number of reported learner deaths to ten since the beginning of the 2020 academic year.

Source: Gauteng Province