6.12 Meta-Reflexivity in Professional Practice
6.12.3 Turbulence and violence in public schools
School: Luvisi Primary School, Nondweni Circuit – Nquthu Circuit Management.
General background: This part of rural KZN has experienced a long history of faction fighting, murder, serious assault, rape and robbery. The police, who have the responsibility to uphold law and order, face an impossible task for a number of reasons. The area is large and the police stations are relatively few in number. A long history of the police being used to enforce apartheid legislation has led to a deep distrust of the police in the community that will take a long time to change. When a crime is committed, anyone who reports this to the police runs the risk of retribution from family, friends, gang members or sympathisers. You could well be regarded as a police informer, or an ‘impimpi’. The police themselves cannot be guaranteed to be neutral in dealing with your report. In 2013 the South African Police Services undertook an audit of serving police officers and this revealed that there were 1 448 police officers in daily service in the country who have been convicted of serious crimes, including murder, attempted murder, rape, assault,corruption, theft, drug trafficking, armed robbery, and aiding escapees.
Among the perpetrators are a major-general, ten brigadiers, 21 colonels, ten majors, 43 lieutenant-colonels, 163 captains, 84 lieutenants, and 716 warrant officers. There are a further 8 846 charges pending against police. (KZN Dept. Community Safety and Liaison report entitled: Rural Safety in KwaZulu-Natal. 2010.)
The claim has been made that the existing socio-political environment is characterised by turbulence and violence, and to substantiate this claim I draw attention to the following twelve representative publicly reported incidents that are presented here in descending chronological order. This list does not include all incidents reported in the media, or the very many suspected incidents that go unrecorded. It is not within the scope of this study to determine why such incidents are not reported, or to investigate the judicial and socio-political outcome of these fourteen incidents. Suffice it to say that they are recorded here as evidence of the extent and degree of anti-social turbulence and blatant criminality.
The Incident: 01
Source: Isolezwe, Monday 20 March 2017.
School: Laduma High School, Kwampumuza, Pietermaritzburg
The Acting Principal, Miss Pricilla Thembelihle Mchunu at the above-mentioned school was shot dead on Saturday 18 March 2017 while teaching grade 12 learners in the classroom. She had served at this school for more than 20 years. She was appointed as Deputy Principal in 2016.
Incident 2.
Source: Personal Interview with principal.
School: Ntinini Full Service School, Babanango Circuit – Nquthu Circuit Management.
Incident: On the night of Saturday 1st August 2015 at about 20h00, Luyanda Maseko (12 years) doing grade 5B, was raped, stabbed in the head, body, and chest, five times. Her arm was broken and throat cut by a neighbour in Jama High School, located approximately 2km away. I visited the bereaved family and discovered that she stayed with her grandmother and the situation revealed acute poverty. I donated R100 in order to assist the destitute family.
The Mayor of Nquthu Municipality undertook to buy a coffin, meals, and to provide a tent for the funeral.
Incident 3
Source: Isolezwe, 3 November 2015.
School: Nyonemhlophe.
Nkosinathi Zondi, who was the principal of Nyonemhlophe and the chairperson of the South African Democratic Teacher’s Union (Sadtu) at Mbuso Shabalala region, was brutally murdered in May 2013 just when he arrived at the driveway of his home, situated at Mlazi township. It is reported (See Isolezwe, Friday 11th December 2015, p.10) that three principals and a District Director that were implicated in the cold-blooded murder of Zondi were acquitted. However, two men allegedly hired to kill Zondi remained in custody.
Incident 4
Source: Isolezwe- 6th November 2015.
School: Vulindlela Primary School, Newcastle.
Incident: A12 year old boy stabbed and killed two classmates (grade 7) in the
classroom. The two classmates were Sikhumbuzo Maseko and Zakhele Nyembe. After a quarrel in the classroom, the suspect went home to fetch a knife and then returned to school to kill them in front of other learners. It is alleged there was no teacher in the classroom when the incident occurred.
Incident 5
Source: See Isolezwe, 18th December 2015, p.5.
School: Nomyaca Secondary School, Mpangeni
Deputy Principal, Duduza Mkhwanazi was, according to newspaper reports, killed in a shocking incident related to a promotion post appointment. He was teaching a scarce subject combination, Mathematics and Physical Science in matric. This brutal incident is alleged to be related to pervasive corruption in the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, in particular.
As a consequence, top management is currently exploring the possibility of freezing the vacant promotion post and thereby not appointing a new incumbent if there are sufficient grounds to believe that a potential candidate will be killed. As a consequence, the National Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga has appointed a commission of inquiry led by Professor John Volmink to investigate the selling of promotion posts. The commission has concluded its findings and showed that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education is in the fore-front of selling promotion posts for between R1000 to R50,000. Other sources allege that the position of Director sells for R100,000.
Incident 6
Source: Isolezwe, 2nd March 2013, p. 3.
School: Mzwilili Primary School, Mlazi.
Incident: Nonjabulo Sabelo (8 years) was raped and murdered after disappearing from school for a week. Her body was discovered dumped in the premises of her school.
Incident 7
Source: Isolezwe, 7th April 2013, p. 5 and 10th December 2012 School: Zephania Secondary School, Maphumulo.
Incident: Deputy Principal, Maureen Khuzwayo (52 years) was shot and died in the school premises after school by a hired gun-man who mistook her for someone else he was looking for as a target.
Incident 8
Source: Daily Sun, Wednesday 8th May 2013.
School: Mvuthuluka High School, Umzumbe.
Incident: Lethokuhle Doncube (grade 1 pupil), was stabbed in the chest and instantly died in the classroom on Monday 6th May 2013. It was alleged that there was no teacher in the class when the incidence occurred.
Incident 9
Source :The New Age, 31st October 2013.
School: Sizimisele High School, Danhauser.
Incident: Bongani Nkabinde (18) was fatally stabbed by a group of six boys immediately after morning assembly and devotion on Monday. This brutal incidence was caused by inter-gang rivalry. The Police report states that three suspects were released and another three were charged with murder. Learners received counselling for trauma.
Incident 10
Source: Isolezwe, 5th January 2010.
School: Sithabile High School, Nanda area.
Incident: Principal of above-cited school, Jabulani Buthelezi, was shot and died due to a promotion post dispute. In essence, he had been promoted to be the principal of the famous Hlange High School located in the Inanda area by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education. However, due to the turbulent atmosphere at Hlange High School, he was then relocated to assume duty as a principal at Sithabile High school, where he was brutally murdered.
Incident 11
Source: The Star, Tuesday 9th November 2010, p. 12.
School: Jules High School, Jeppestown, Johannesburg
Incident: Educator, Bhekizenzo Ndiyane (35,) was shot three times and died instantly at the school cottagesat night.
Incident 12
Source: City Press, 01 July 2007.
School: Hlokohloko Primary School, Ubombo district – Mpangeni.
Incident: Two members of the National Teachers Union, (Natu) Bonisiwe Mthenjane (HOD) and Philile Ntuli (Post level 1) were murdered. The principal, who is a member of the South African Teachers Union (Sadtu) was implicated in the killing, together with co-accused who were alleged to be hit-men. They were charged with kidnapping, murder, robbery and possession of an illegal firearm. As a consequence, the three led the police to where they had dumped the bodies, which were found badly decomposed in the bushes after the teachers had been missing for nine days.
With such a growing number of socially, morally, culturally, and legally unacceptable incidents one could be forgiven for believing that the social order has irretrievably collapsed and that there is no hope at all to reign in such widespread abuse of power, influence, and privilege.
What is needed is true leadership as distinct from attempting to manage the situation. This distinction between leadership and management skills is clarified as follows:
Managers administer; leaders innovate Managers maintain; leaders develop Managers control; leaders inspire
Managers have a short-term view; leaders have a long-term view Managers ask how and when; leaders ask what and why
Managers imitate; leaders originate
Managers accept the status quo; leaders challenge it.
Source: Hughes et al., (2001:1)
I am indebted to Kotter, as cited in Daft (1999: 39), who has refined my taken-for-granted view of management and leadership practice.