Kamogelo Matsepe (19) used to complain about being bullied by the same person who ended up killing him in Middleburg.
According to Daily Sun, the grade 11 pupil at Moetanalo Secondary School in Mhluzi in Middelburg, Mpumalanga was stabbed to death allegedly by a fellow pupil during an argument on Tuesday, 20 January.
ALSO READ | Remember Mushwana stabbed and killed by ex-boyfriend
According to reports, pupils were on a break when three male pupils went to the back of the school premises. An argument allegedly erupted among them and later escalated into a physical confrontation.
During the altercation, Kamogelo was allegedly stabbed and died at the scene. The suspect fled immediately after the incident but was later arrested by police.
Speaking to Daily Sun, Kamogelo’s aunt, Yandiswa Mize said the teen confided in his mum a week before his death that he was being bullied by the alleged perpetrator and had requested to change classes.
“We didn’t think it was something that would end this way. He went to school that day like any other day. There was nothing unusual about him.
“He said goodbye, and later his mother received a phone call telling her to rush to the school. She called me and we went there together. When we arrived, we found him lying motionless. He was already gone,” she said.
Yandiswa said the family is devastated by Kamogelo’s passing, adding that his dreams of becoming a soccer star were shattered.
She said:
“He loved soccer. He was eager to finish school so he could pursue a career in football. He always said one day he’d make it in life and change his home situation.”
She said the family is still struggling to come to terms with the loss.
“He was a happy child who loved seeing people around him smiling. There was always laughter around him. We are deeply hurt.”
“All we want is for the law to take its course. We don’t have the strength to judge the perpetrator or think about revenge,” she said.
Dealing with an ongoing problem
School governing body chairman William Mahlobo admitted that the school faces ongoing challenges with bullying.
“We do see bullying happening within the school premises, although it hasn’t been fully exposed.”
“We’ve recommended safety measures, but parents are not cooperating. Pupils continue to access exit points where they smuggle dangerous weapons,” he said.
Mahlobo stated that even searches at the school gate are not enough due to damaged fences and walls.
He said:
“We receive assistance from the South African Police Service and the community policing forum from time to time, but we don’t have a budget to hire a full-time security guard. We are trying our best, but parental cooperation remains a challenge.”
The Mpumalanga Department of Education has called on parents and the community to work together to fight bullying and gangsterism in schools.
Meanwhile, Mpumalanga police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jabu Ndubane confirmed that a murder case is being investigated, and an 18-year-old suspect was arrested.
ALSO READ | Matric learner stabbed to death by another learner at Thomas Nhlabathi Secondary school
The suspect appeared in the Middelburg Magistrates Court on Thursday, 22 January and will return to court on Tuesday, 27 January for a formal bail application.
The school held a memorial service for Kamogelo on Friday, 23 January. He will be laid to rest in Middelburg on Saturday, 24 January.
