THE funeral service for the slain Founders High School pupil, Wayne Ndlovu, will be held at his school today.
The deceased was stabbed with an Okapi knife by a 17-year-old pupil from Hamilton High School in a suspected inter-school turf war on Monday.
Wayne, who was aged 16 years, succumbed to the injuries upon admission to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH). He will be buried today at Umvutsha Cemetery on the outskirts of the city.
Wayne’s family approached the school authorities to have the funeral service at the school.
The deceased’s father Mr Simiko Ndlovu said he was humbled when the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education acceded to his request .
He said conducting the service at the school will help bring closure to other learners who were traumatised following the death of their colleague.
“We requested that the funeral service be held at Founders High School and I’m humbled that the Ministry acceded to the request. We will be starting the funeral service at 8.30AM after which we proceed to Umvutsha where he will be laid to rest,” said Mr Ndlovu.
He said he hoped after the service, pupils from both schools will appreciate the undesirable consequences of violence.
Mr Ndlovu said society needs to confront the challenge of gang fights between pupils from different schools.
He said the post-mortem report stated that his son died from excessive bleeding after the knife damaged his right jugular vein.
Primary and Secondary Education communications and advocacy director Mr Taungana Ndoro said the ministry shared the Ndlovu family’s view that violence among pupils needs to be dealt with.
“We really considered their request and accepted. We believe conducting the service at the school might serve a platform to educate our pupils, parents and society as a whole on the dangers of engaging in violence,” he said.
Wayne, who dreamed of being a doctor was stabbed in the neck after he confronted boys from Hamilton High School who had assaulted his friend the previous day.
It is said a fight ensued and one of the pupils from Hamilton High School produced a knife and stabbed the deceased on the neck before escaping.
Following Wayne’s death, police arrested two boys from Hamilton High School who assisted cops with investigations. On Wednesday, one of the boys aged 17 appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Nomagugu Maphosa facing a murder charge.
He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to February 27.
According to court papers, the accused stabbed Wayne with a three-star Okapi knife in the neck during the fight which occurred at the corner of Evesham Road and Plumtree Road.
Gang-related violence involving pupils from Hamilton and Founders High School is said to have become a common phenomenon.
Police said they have recorded inter-school violence involving pupils from Gifford, Milton and Msiteli high schools.
Parents have called on Government to allow school authorities to administer corporal punishment in order to discipline pupils. – The Chronicle
