The SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) in the North West is still shocked and saddened by the fatal shooting of a teacher at Rutanang Primary School, it said on Wednesday.
The 45-year-old grade R teacher is believed to have been gunned down outside school premises on Tuesday morning. Her attackers escaped on foot and did not steal anything from their victim.
Sadtu said the attack confirms the teacher union’s long-standing view that schools, especially in black areas, are no longer safe for teachers and pupils.
“We continue to call on every member of the society to protect teachers, learners, and all education workers. The union implores the community at large to support our campaign, ‘I Am A School Fan’, that seeks to denounce violence in our schools,” said the union’s provincial secretary George Themba.
“While we might not be aware of the motive for the killing, we condemn such a heinous act. We call on the law-enforcement agencies to do everything possible to hunt down, apprehend, and successfully prosecute the perpetrators.”
The department of education in the province has dispatched counsellors to the school to help Rutanang teachers and pupils deal with the trauma.
Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said investigations continue and no one has been arrested yet.
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