‘This was a hit’: Panyaza Lesufi after Joburg principal dies in hail of bullets

Iavan Pijoos Journalist
Gauteng police confirmed that the principal died in a hail of bullets while entering the premises of the school at about 7am on Friday. Stock photo.
Gauteng police confirmed that the principal died in a hail of bullets while entering the premises of the school at about 7am on Friday. Stock photo.
Image: 123RF/Paul Fleet

Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi says it appears that the principal of Buyani Primary School was targeted in a “hit” when he was gunned down at the school early on Friday in Finetown, Johannesburg.

“From the video footage it was quite clear that this was a hit, that someone was assigned to do what they have done,” said Lesufi, after visiting the school.

Gauteng police confirmed the principal died in a hail of bullets while entering the property at about 7am.

Lesufi said in March he received an email from “concerned people” in the area who raised certain challenges about the school, the qualifications of the principal and management issues. He said the district office was asked to intervene and had met those who raised the concerns.

“In the last three months we thought everything has been sorted out, until we got this sad news this morning. We handed over that kind of information to the police so that they can start their investigations and we can understand what the cause of this barbaric act is.

“We want to condemn that and implore the law enforcement agencies to go all out and hunt this perpetrator.

“There is someone behind that gunman, or there are some people behind that gunman, and we have to know who these people are or who this person is. I hope the law enforcement agencies can assist us, because we can’t allow our schools to be killing fields. The law enforcement agencies must protect us.”

Lesufi said it was difficult to appoint security guards at schools in the province because “we don’t have the financial muscle to do that”.

He said this was the third case he was attending where principals had been targeted and killed. “It is extremely difficult to witness such barbaric acts happening in our schooling environment.

“I had a brief discussion with the police and I appreciate their thoroughness to investigate this matter and their commitment to hunt down the killer or the person who hired the killer, so that we don’t have these kind of things happening in our schools.”

Lesufi paid condolences to the family, district and teacher unions. He said counselling would be provided to the family, educators and pupils at the school.  

TimesLIVE


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