Chronicle Editor
MSITELI High School in Bulawayo’s Mpopoma suburb has in the past few weeks hogged headlines over violent clashes between rival pupils’ gangs leading to the destruction of the school’s property.
In what teachers say has been the worst violent clashes to date, three weeks ago, the warring gangs, armed with catapults, knives and knobkerries among an assortment of weapons, clashed in a week-long battle that left the school’s precast wall destroyed.
Classrooms’ window panes were also destroyed.
One of the gang members reportedly sustained serious injuries on the head during the clashes and a girl was hospitalised some few weeks ago after a gang member sprayed pepper spray at the girls’ toilet.
The rival gangs are said to comprise boys from Mpopoma, Iminyela and Mabuthweni suburbs who are leaners at Msiteli High School and Sizane High School in Pelandaba suburb.
After this publication ran a story on the violent clashes, the police visited the two schools where Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube addressed pupils.
“You must concentrate on your studies and avoid being involved in crime because that will disturb your future careers.
This will taint your record and prevent you from getting good opportunities like scholarships and jobs as no one will hire someone with a criminal record.
“You must have the spirit of ubuntu and behave well at school and avoid vandalising school property because this is where your future is moulded.
“Do not take drugs because some do bad things under their influence and end up committing crimes. Be good ambassadors of your school which will put it on the map. We are doing investigations on all the perpetrators,” said Insp Ncube to pupils at Msiteli High School.
Msiteli head Mr Canny Vundla blamed school leavers for causing trouble at the school saying they were behind the violence that rocked the school while his Mpopoma High School counterpart Mr Christopher Dube said pupils lack parental guidance at home.
Mr Dube said teachers are doing their best to produce good learners but are not supported by the community when they leave the school.
“When they go outside of the school they do different kinds of behaviour like drugs, fights and other bad habits which cause them to misbehave and end up vandalising school property. Some end up not attending lessons because they will be fearing being bullied once they leave the school premises,” he said.
Yesterday, this publication carried a story where teachers at Msiteli said they are living in fear of the violent pupils’ gangs as some of them bring dangerous weapons to school to scare other learners.
The teachers said besides fighting among themselves, the gangs have threatened them leading to some seeking transfers from the school in fear for their security.
They also raised the issue of bullying where older learners demand money from younger ones. They are threatened against reporting the bullying to authorities and out of fear, the victims suffer in silence.
What is clear is that the issue of these unruly gangs has been happening for a long time and only reached boiling point three weeks ago when they engaged in week-long battles.
Such behaviour within or outside the schools must not be tolerated and the police are urged to carry out serious investigations on the matter, arrest culprits and restore sanity in the schools affected by this violence.
Schools are meant to be incubators for future leaders of society and not outposts of unruly behaviour and violent conduct.
Those accused of peddling drugs that are said to fuel these violent clashes must also be investigated, arrested and prosecuted. They are a cancer to society and must be dealt with mercilessly.
The school calendar has already been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and progressive learners must not be further disturbed by unruly and criminal gangs.
School authorities are called upon to immediately engage the police when such incidents occur as delays will result in the loss of life.
Parents on the other hand are reminded that they have a duty to guide their children into better and progressive members of society. It is them who lay the foundation and the schools play a complementary role.
Online Reporter