Classes at Parktown Boys' High expected to resume today
Parents were called to a closed meeting on Monday for an update on the investigation into a teenager's drowning at an orientation camp in the North West.
PARKTOWN - Classes are expected to resume at Parktown Boys' High on Tuesday morning following a day of trauma counselling for those affected by the death of grade 8 pupil Enock Mpianzi.
Parents were called to a closed meeting on Monday for an update on the investigation into the teenager's drowning at an orientation camp in the North West.
The 13-year-old's body was found on Friday in the Crocodile River after a water activity involving building a raft so the learners could cross the river.
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Parents at the school have been urged to carefully monitor their children to determine whether they need further counselling.
An independent inquiry has been set up by the Gauteng Department of Basic Education into the grade 8 pupil’s death.
The department's Steve Mabona said parents needed to support the process.
“We’ve put down our foot on introducing the probe. If we didn’t do that, then we were not going to have answers into the questions that are being raised. So, an independent probe will then assist us to get those answers because they are independent.”
Mabona said they didn’t want to preempt the outcome of the investigation, which was expected to be completed in three months.
VIDEO: Informing Enock Mpianzi's family of his death was very difficult - Lesufi
SAHRC TO VISIT CROCODILE RIVER
With more questions than answers surrounding the death of Mpianzi, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will visit the site of the tragedy on Tuesday.
The commission has offered legal assistance to his family to get to the bottom of the matter.
Meanwhile, a silent protest organised by concerned parents is expected to take place outside the school on Tuesday morning.
One parent who didn’t want to be named said: “From where we are as the parents, we just have faith in the process and the structures in place that at the end of it all, we will be able to get the answers because right now we are speculating even on social media.”
Mabona said: “We just want to call upon those parents to do it in a way they’ve called upon; it’s a silent protest, they come with placards and those messages will be read and we just want to plead with them to respect the process of teaching and learning. Don’t make unnecessary noise at the school.”
