Johannesburg – Three gun-wielding men assaulted the disabled principal of Caiphus Nyoka Secondary School and her deputy and stole their personal belongings, threatening to kill the principal if she does not resign from her position.
Nomawethu Boloshe, who has been using crutches after a car accident left her unable to walk on her own, and her acting deputy Sisi Motha was attacked on Monday at the school, which is situated in Etwatwa, Daveyton, in Ekurhuleni.
The chairperson of the Community Policing Forum in the area, Fani Msimang, said he received a call at 4.29pm alerting him to the incident.
He said he contacted the police, who said the crime prevention unit was in the vicinity and would respond promptly.
Msimang said when he arrived, the police were already there, noting that Boloshe, whose face was swollen from the beating, told the police that the men forced her, Motha, and a patroller to the ground and proceeded to assault her and her deputy.
The men also stole their work and personal cellphones, took their car keys and Boloshe’s rings before locking them up in the office.
The attackers then fled in a grey Fiat with no registration plates.
“They told her she must resign, what was she still doing at the school. ‘When are you going to resign? If you come back here, we will kill you’,” said Msimang relating what Boloshe told the police.
According to Msimang, the men then handed the keys to a boy at a primary school nearby and instructed him to return them to the school.
Msimang believed the attack was aimed at intimidating Boloshe and Motha, who have been openly challenged about their positions at the school.
Boloshe, according to Msimang, who has been with the school for less than a year, was accused by four teachers last year of giving learners exam papers to boost the pass rate.
The accusations were investigated by the district education authorities, who cleared her of the allegations.
Motha, said Msimang, was being forced to retire early.
“One of the teachers wanted Motha to retire to make way for younger teachers. Motha is 57 years old,” he said.
Last November, the school was burgled and criminals stole two plasma TV sets. The thieves were later arrested after a tracker traced the TVs to a scrapyard.
When Sunday World visited the school this week, Boloshe was said to be on leave.
Motha refused to speak and referred Sunday World to the Gauteng department of education.
Police have confirmed that a case of business robbery has been opened at Etwatwa Police Station.
“No arrests have been made yet,” said Sergeant Khensani Mathebula.
Gauteng eduation spokespeson Steve Mabona confirmed the incident.
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