Lungi Langa
It is still unclear what could have prompted a man to run into Alston Primary School in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday and attack a security guard with a screwdriver.
The suspect stabbed the guard before stabbing a parent who was trying to intervene during the incident.
Ward 32 councillor Garth Middleton said it was yet to be established whether the 40-year-old man who launched the attack is mentally stable. The incident was caught on video and shared on various social media platforms.
“If you look at the video that was taken when the man was apprehended by members of a local security company and the police you can see that he is agitated. It is not clear whether this is due to his mental state of mind or if it could have been that he was under the influence of any substance,” he said.
“We are hoping that would be established in due time by law officials as he was apprehended and taken into police custody.”
Prior to the attack at the school the man is alleged to have stabbed a local businessman. KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Mbali Frazer condemned the attack.
“It is troubling that our learners should be subjected to this kind of violence. Our teachers and staff are also worried that their lives are at risk,” said Frazer.
“I trust the police to do their work to ensure that a conviction is secured and that jail becomes the final destination for the perpetrator.”
KZN police spokesperson Lt Col Nqobile Gwala confirmed that Pietermaritzburg police were investigating charges of assault with intention to cause grievous bodily harm.
“It is alleged that yesterday at 13:00, [the suspect] arrived in one of the schools on Greyling Street and stabbed a security guard with a screwdriver on the arm.
“Another person who witnessed the incident tried to assist the security guard that was stabbed by scaring the suspect with a gas gun. The suspect went straight to the person who was helping and also stabbed him on the hand,” said Gwala.
Image source: @HeadTopics
