13-year-old boy arrested for stabbing fellow pupil

A teenager in Mpumalanga arrested for stabbing a fellow pupil was released on Saturday as police continue with investigations.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdluli has confirmed that the 13-year-old suspect, a pupil from Masoyi Primary School, was placed under the custody of his parents.

“He was arrested and released under the parents’ care as guided by probation officers,” said Mdluli.

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Mdluli said the victim was stabbed once and he was taken to a private doctor where he was attended to and released the same day. He then recovered at home.

He said it was not clear what caused the fight between the pupils.

A school teacher, who asked not to be named because she was not authorised to talk to the media, said the squabble that led to the stabbing started on Thursday. She said the suspect was waiting outside the school premises and reportedly demanded that a group of pupils of his age give him their belts. He didn’t say why he wanted the belts.

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“They refused and one of the boys, who is also a 13-year-old confronted him and the fight ensued. The suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the back as he was trying to run away,” said the teacher.

“The issue is gang-related, that is why people don’t want to talk about it. In fact, during the fight there was another boy who was also stabbed but the matter was not reported to the police and he was also taken to a private doctor.”

Stabbing condemned

Mpumalanga Department of Education spokesperson Gerald Sambo commended the swift action by the police to ensure that the perpetrator was arrested.

“Any form of violence against you cannot be tolerated, it is unacceptable and we condemn it with the strongest terms possible. We urge our learners to refrain from using violence to resolve their differences with their peers.

“We also call on parents to regularly check what is contained in their children’s school bags and to always teach good morals and values. We hope that this arrest will also serve as a reminder to those who may be tempted to resort to violence against others as a way of resolving issues.”

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