Chaos erupted at Heathfield High School after fights broke out between pupils while authorities were pictured carrying shotguns on the premises.
Two separate brawls were captured on cell phone video footage at the school on Tuesday.
Western Cape Education (WCED) spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said they were aware of the fight that took place on the premises and the officials who responded to the incidents.
“School resource officers are stationed at 45 schools around the province. This is in partnership with the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT) Law Enforcement Unit. They were first deployed to Heathfield HS last year.
The fight was contained and classes resumed. The school has instituted disciplinary action and the parents (were) informed,” said Hammond.
A pupil told the ‘Cape Times’ that fights at the school started on Friday.
“This continued again on Monday where we just saw a group of boys start arguing and this led to fights.
We are not sure if this is gang-related or what is happening. Classes have been disturbed, things have not returned to normal at the school that is why we still have law enforcement stationed there. The curator is trying but is struggling and so are teachers,” the pupil said.
ANC spokesperson for Education in the Western Cape Khalid Sayed believed instability would persist at the school since former principal Wesley Neumann was no longer there.
“During Mr Neumann's tenure as principal, the school was highly functional – disciplinary matters were dealt with in a dignified and educationally sound manner.
“Since the dismissal of Mr Neumann last year, my office has been inundated with complaints from parents about the WCED-imposed management at the school.
The student's behaviour and actions could be viewed as the lack of confidence they have in the current management,” said Sayed.
He condemned “in the strongest terms” armed law enforcement officers on the school premises “sent to deal with routine disciplinary matters”.
“As the ANC in the province, we call for the department to engage the previous principal, Mr Wesley Neumann, to seek an immediate amicable out-of-court agreement. The department's current strategy has hopelessly failed, and it is high time they put aside their pride and reinstate Mr Neumann to get the school back on track,” said Sayed.
Cape Times