By Levy Masiteng
A horrific shooting has shaken the Tembisa community after a school principal and an administrative staff member were fatally shot at Inxiweni Primary School in Ekurhuleni.
The victims, 58-year-old principal Nozibele Tabu and 55-year-old administrator Nobantu Njomboni, were declared dead on the scene, the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) confirmed.
The shooting occurred on Tuesday at around 5pm while the principal and colleagues were preparing for a meeting. According to preliminary reports, staff members in a nearby office heard gunshots and hid for safety.
When they emerged, they found Tabu and Njomboni lying in the passage of the administration block.
Emergency services were called immediately and declared both victims dead upon arrival.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane described the incident as “senseless and brutal.”
“We are horrified by this act committed within a school, a place meant to be a sanctuary for teaching and learning,” Chiloane said.
55-year-old administrative assistant, Nobantu Njomboni. PHOTO: X/Supplied
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Chiloane visited the school on Tuesday evening to assess the scene and convey condolences to the families.
Psychosocial support teams, including officials from the Ekurhuleni North District, will provide counselling and trauma support to learners on Wednesday, particularly those writing exams.
Chiloane urged law enforcement to act swiftly.
“We urge law enforcement authorities to move with speed to bring the perpetrator to justice,” said Chiloane.
Police investigations are underway.
Meanwhile, Sergio Isa Dos Santos, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, said the safety of teachers, learners, and staff in Gauteng schools is currently under grave danger as conditions continue to deteriorate, while Lesufi’s administration is not doing enough to address the problem.
Dos Santos said the DA demands that the Gauteng Department of Education MEC urgently present a credible plan to secure all schools across the province.
“The DA’s calls follow a shocking incident where a principal and a staff member at Inxiweni Primary School in Tembisa were brutally killed yesterday afternoon, allegedly by masked gunmen inside the school. Initial reports indicate that the gunmen entered the premises after school hours and opened fire in front of other staff members, including the deputy principal,” said dos Santos.
“The DA has long condemned the Gauteng Department of Education’s failures in protecting learners and educators, calling for better protective measures in all schools across the province. Last week, we exposed that the department has quietly removed security guards from numerous schools, leaving educators and learners at even greater risk.”
Dos Santos added: “The senseless killings at Inxiweni Primary School validate our long-standing concerns and reinforce the view that our schools have become dangerous zones. Instead of spending on bolstering security at our schools, the Gauteng Provincial Government has spent over R104 million in the past five years paying for rates and taxes for 41 vacant, decaying and underutilised government buildings.”
“The DA extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the entire Inxiweni Primary School community. We demand an urgent and thorough investigation, followed by swift prosecution of those found responsible for these heinous crimes.”
INSIDE EDUCATION
