Corpun file 4562

Swazi Observer, Mbabane, 2 October 1999

News in Brief

10 expelled for assaulting headteacher

NDZINGENI- About 10 students have been expelled from Ndzingeni High School after one of them had assaulted the Deputy Headteacher.

Though the school's authorities did all they could to hide the news, it leaked that the 10 Form III students were told to pack their bags and leave the school's premises last Friday.

Soon after last week Thursday's incidence in which the student and the deputy headteacher had exchanged blows, all the pupils residing in the school's dormitories, both females and males, were on the following day ordered to go and call their parents for a meeting that was held on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the fighting student, 14-year-old Muzi Nkambule, popularly by his school-mates as 'Chester', was told to pack and leave for ever.

Also ordered to make no return in the school were Nkambule's class-mates whose offence was allegedly not explained.

It is, however, understood that they were found to have acted wrongly by stepping in during the fight. Though the students claim that they were separating the two in good faith, the school's authorities allege that there was an ulterior motive.

The other sacked Form III students are Modison Ndlovu, Patrick Dlamini, Meluleki Dlamini, Lindumusa Dlamini and Mduduzi Shongwe.

Others are Masotja Dlamini, Mthantazi Mahlalela, Mphumuzi Dlamini and Bonginkosi Phiri.

Though the headmaster, Sam Mkhonta has kept the expulsion as a secret, three of the pupils found, this week, loitering at the school's premises confirmed that they were no longer part of Endzingeni High School.

The main culprit, 'Chester' Nkambule admitted that he exchanged blows with the deputy headteacher, Mathokoza Dlamini but claimed that he did that in self-defence.

The cause of the misunderstanding, as stated by 'Chester', was a certain female teacher, Mrs. Kiamoka, who went to report to the deputy headmaster that he ('Chester') was refusing to take punishment.

"When Dlamini demanded to beat me I refused because I had not done anything wrong. He then clapped me in the face and I tried to defend myself but to no avail until my class-mates came to my rescue," he said.

Later on, 'Chester' said he was told to walk away from the school.

Modison Ndlovu narrated that his case was different in that he was accused of stealing eggs from the school's poultry house.

"I did take the eggs to boil in the dormitory because I had not got my share last term but that did not warrant an expulsion," Ndlovu said.

The other Form 3 pupil interviewed, Masotja Dlamini claimed that apart from assisting his class-mate when he was beaten by the deputy head-teacher, he was framed by the Ghanaian female teacher, Mrs. Kiamoka.

"She had chucked me out for being three minutes late in class after lunch. The lunch has always been an hour but when it was reduced to 45 minutes, it took us sometime to adjust," stated Masotja, who was found in an army vehicle with his bags from school .

Both the headteacher, Sam Mkhonta and chairman of the school's committee Humphrey Mncina denied that some students were expelled.