Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Mpumalanga Department of Education is probing the death of a Grade 11 pupil who died at a high school in Kriel.
Bafana Sithole, a 17-year-old pupil at Hoërskool Kriel, died on Thursday.
While the circumstances surrounding his death were being investigated, Mpumalanga Department of Education spokesperson Jasper Zwane said the incident happened on the school premises.
“The department will determine the course of action to be undertaken as soon as it receives a report from the investigation team,” Zwane added.
He said counselling services were provided at the school on the day of the incident, and would remain in place until everyone affected was well.
Police also confirmed the incident and said an inquest was opened.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said officers were called to the school and informed about the incident, which happened in a classroom.
Paramedics were later called to the school and declared the pupil dead, Mohlala said.
Mohlala added:
Zwane said the department noted with concern rumours that were making the rounds on social media about a planned protest by residents of Kriel to disrupt the final examinations in the area.
Zwane said a group called “Justice for Bafana” was allegedly planning a protest march to barricade the gates of Hoërskool Kriel on Monday. However, Zwane told News24 that no protest action was reported on Monday.
“Exams are going well, and no protest action has been reported at the school for now,” he added.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, you can contact the SA Depression and Anxiety Group’s (Sadag) 24-hour mental health helpline at 0800 456 789; Sadag’s WhatsApp counselling line, which operates from 09:00 to 16:00, at 076 882 2775, the SA Federation for Mental Health at 011 781 1852 and LifeLine South Africa at 0861 322 322.
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