The Eqinisweni Secondary School community is facing a string of tragedies after four pupils from the school allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison in the span of 10 days.
The Gauteng education MEC, Matome Chiloane, said on Monday evening that he was extremely shocked by the series of devasting incidents at the school in Ivory Park.
According to the department, the four pupils died between 26 April and 5 May.
One after another
The first incident happened on Friday, 26 April when a Grade 10 girl pupil allegedly drank poison at home.
“She was rushed to a local clinic, where she was unfortunately declared dead,” department spokesperson Steve Mabona said.
In the second incident on Thursday, 2 May, a Grade 11 girl pupil was found dead at home by her parents after she allegedly took her own life by also consuming poison.
On Friday, 3 May, the third incident occurred after a Grade 11 boy pupil was hospitalized due to having allegedly consumed poison.
“Regrettably, he passed away while receiving medical treatment,” said Mabona.
The final incident happened on Sunday when a girl in matric also apparently drank poison at home and died while being transported to a nearby clinic.
Psycho-social support unit deployed
The department said its psycho-social support unit has been dispatched to Eqinisweni Secondary School to provide necessary counselling to the school community. The team will also extend its counselling services to the respective bereaved families.
“It is indeed heart-wrenching to witness the loss of young lives. We extend our deepest condolences to the families affected [by] their loss. Mental health support services will be bolstered in schools to ensure our learners receive the necessary assistance and guidance during difficult times,” said Chiloane.
“It should be noted that our partnership with Sadag has yielded positive results in Tsakane, where we previously had a similar slew of unfortunate learner suicides. As such, the department commits to continuing with this partnership and conduct learner mental health roadshows to affected schools.”
Where to get help
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has urged pupils to reach out to support structures and resources that have been made available in instances where they might be facing challenges.
Such structures include Childline, which can be contacted by dialing 116. Learners can also contact the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) on 0800 567 567 or 0800 456 789.
Sadag’s WhatsApp counseling line can be contacted from 09:00 to 16:00 at 076 882 2775.
The South African Mental Health Federation can be reached at 011 781 1862 and LifeLine South Africa at 0861 322 322.
Teacher found dead
Meanwhile, the GDE also announced another tragic incident after a female teacher from Thuto-Lore Secondary School in Sharpeville was found dead on Saturday.
“According to information at our disposal, the educator did not report to work on Thursday, 2 May. Subsequently, a missing persons case was filed at a local police station on Friday, 3 May,” Mabona said.
“Sadly, her lifeless body was allegedly found Saturday, 4 May 2024, at Dlomo Dam near her home. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident.”
The department’s psycho-social support unit will also be deployed to the school to provide trauma support and counselling.
“It is truly heartbreaking that another female educator from [the] same school was brutally murdered. This raises serious concerns around the safety of female educators in the community. We plead with law enforcement agencies to act swiftly in apprehending the suspects, and we also convey our sincerest condolences to the school and bereaved family,” said Chiloane.
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