Four suspects have been arrested after a group of panga-wielding men intimidated teachers at a Katlehong school on Monday.
According to the Gauteng education department, in a series of shocking videos that have gone viral on social media, well-known South African religious leader, Paseka "Pastor Mboro" Motsoeneng is seen wielding pangas and threatening to attack teachers on the school premises.
“Disturbingly, another man is seen grabbing two learners, who were caught in the crossfire of this violent ordeal, while another is wielding an assault rifle,” provincial education MEC Matome Chiloane said.
“This violent and appalling behaviour has no place in our schools or our society.”
The department said that there had been a conflict between two families over the custody of the boy learners enrolled at the school, in Grade RR and Grade 2, has been escalating.
It is said that the mother of the children passed away in April this year, leading to a dispute between the paternal and maternal sides of the family.
On Monday, the children's father had a meeting with the principal.
The department said later in the day, the maternal grandmother, who is the alleged guardian of the children, also met with the principal to report and inform him about a conflict that occurred during a meeting held over the past weekend at the house of the paternal grandfather, who is the famous South African pastor.
“Following this, the deputy principal and some staff members refused to release the children without the grandmother’s permission. This led to the pastor arriving at the school with bodyguards and weapons,” the department said in a statement.
“The incident unfolded on Monday afternoon after school when the father of the children came to fetch them, accompanied by two men, one of them being the pastor — who was armed with two pangas while the other carried an assault rifle,” it said.
“Teachers, acting on the alleged instructions from the grandmother, tried to prevent the father from leaving the school premises with the children. In response, the pastor brandished a panga threateningly at the teachers, allowing the father to leave with the children.”
Gauteng police spokesperson, Colonel Noxolo Kweza, confirmed that the four are expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court soon.
“They are facing a variety of charges including assault, handling a firearm recklessly that could endanger lives and property, rendering security services while not registered, malicious damage to property and intimidation,” she said.
Kweza said the replica firearm and the pangas have since been confiscated. One of the suspects was arrested for assaulting the Station Commander at Katlehong North police station when a group of people were demanding to deal with the local pastor outside the police station.
Gauteng provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, says the possibility of police effecting more arrests cannot be ruled out as investigations into the matter continue .
IOL News