On Friday 14 March teachers at Zanemfundo Primary School did not show up to work and instead went to the Western Cape Education Department’s offices in Mitchells Plain to voice their safety concerns.
More than two weeks since armed men visited Zanemfundo Primary School in Phillipi East demanding protection fees from teachers, police have made little progress in investigating the incident and no suspects have been arrested.
The incident took place on 28 February. Teachers were reportedly told to pay 10% of their salaries by Friday, 14 March. Too scared to go to work on Friday, teachers went to the Education Department’s district offices in Mitchells Plain to voice their safety concerns. Classes were cancelled.
The incident was reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS), but little seems to have been done to investigate the issue. One teacher at the school told GroundUp that the perpetrators are known to them and the community, yet the police have not acted.
Teachers are being escorted to the school by police officers this week. Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said a private security company has been appointed to be stationed at the school and SAPS are patrolling the area around the school.
“It is not safe at all. We are in extreme danger,” one teacher told GroundUp, “These gangs come to the school gun-wielding. Our lives are at risk. Teachers at the school are asking for transfers because they don’t feel safe.”
He said he has not returned to work since the incident on 28 February and will not go back until he feels safe.
Similar incidents have reportedly taken place at five other schools in Nyanga, Philippi and Samora Machel. “We can’t talk about this because it involves people’s lives. This is a very serious situation and we can’t risk speaking to the media,” said a teacher at one of the schools.
Hammond referred GroundUp’s questions about these alleged incidents to SAPS.
SAPS spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut told GroundUp that incidents of extortion have been reported at several schools and that these incidents are being investigated, but “for privacy and security reasons, we are unable to disclose the names of the schools or complainants”.
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