Family links killing of grade 11 pupil to bullying

The family of a Gauteng boy who was stabbed to death outside his school believe that an alleged months-old bullying incident, which they thought had been resolved, is the reason he was murdered, allegedly by a fellow pupil.

Lethabo Mokonyane, a pupil at Lesedi Secondary School in Lethabong – an informal settlement in Donkerhoek, Pretoria East – had just written his last grade 11 examination paper when he was stabbed in full view of fellow pupils on Tuesday afternoon. He was allegedly attacked by a boy he had an altercation with a few months earlier.

“Witnesses say the matric pupil’s friend strangled Lethabo while the pupil stabbed him three times, once in the back along his spine, once in the chest, and once in the stomach,” said Lethabo’s aunt Shirley Mokonyane.

“An ambulance was called, but it never arrived. He had to be rushed to a nearby clinic in a police van. Sadly, he was declared dead on arrival due to severe blood loss,” she said.

At the time of the stabbing, 19-year-old Lethabo was boarding the school bus to go home. After the stabbing, the alleged killer, who is a grade 12 pupil at the school, fled along with his friend.

At the time of publication, they were still at large. 

Gauteng police spokesperson Col Mavela Masondo said police are investigating a case of murder and are looking for the suspect.

According to Shirley , the matric pupil had allegedly bullied Lethabo earlier this year over a chair.

“There aren’t enough chairs at the school, and it’s first-come, first-served,” she said. “Earlier this year, the suspect and three others went to Lethabo’s class demanding a chair even though they had arrived late. Lethabo refused and reportedly scared them off with a pair of scissors.”

The aunt said in the tussle for the chair, the grade 12 pupil got “a minor scratch near the eye”.

“That incident had led to a mediation involving parents, and we thought it was resolved,” she said.

While everyone thought the matter had been put to bed, the grade 12 pupil must have harboured a grudge against Lethabo, Shirley said.

“Probably, from the onset when we thought everything had been resolved, Lethabo had been a target, and his killer got an opportunity on Tuesday. This makes no sense at all. They had not fought nor exchanged words before.”

One of the Lethabo’s friends who witnessed the attack has been left traumatised, his father told Sowetan.

The boy’s father said his son returned home in a police vehicle, visibly shaken and unable to speak.

“He went straight to his room and slept until 7pm. That’s when police called to ask if he had told us anything because they wanted him to help identify Lethabo’s home.

“That’s how we learnt about what had happened. My son told us he witnessed the stabbing and was in the police van when they took Lethabo to the clinic,” the man said.

He said his son and two others saw the entire attack unfold.

“They said the boys were wearing balaclavas and fled immediately after. It happened so quickly.”

The man said they were now concerned about safety at the school and questioned how the attackers, particularly a registered matric pupil, had vanished without the school knowing their address.

“When our children are at school, we trust they’re safe. But now we are terrified. If nothing changes, who’s next?” he said.

Gauteng MEC for education Matome Chiloane said the department was “ heartbroken by this senseless act of violence”.

“Schools must remain spaces of learning, safety, and hope, not breeding grounds for brutality and violence. No child should ever lose their life in the pursuit of education. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and the school community during this incredibly painful time.

“Learners must understand that violence has life-altering consequences. Such actions will not only remove you from the classroom, but may ultimately place you behind bars,” he said.

Chiloane was expected to visit the school and the Mokonyane family today.

SowetanLIVE