Parktown Boys’ High School principal Malcolm Williams was suspended on Friday following an investigation into the drowning of Enock Mpianzi at the school’s Grade 8 Orientation camp.
Mpianzi, a 13-year-old Parktown Boys’ High School learner drowned in the Crocodile River at the Nyati Bush and River Break Lodge during an orientation camp, on 15 January 2020.
His disappearance was allegedly repeatedly reported by learners, but ignored by teachers and camp facilitators, who found his body two days later.
Reports say that one of the learners who saw Enock drown, repeatedly told teachers that Enock had drowned and yet it took the teachers more than a day to start the search for him.
IOL News reported, “the delay in searching for the drowned boy was caused by a “negligent” teacher who left the roll-call list on the hired bus – hence the pupil was unaccounted for and it took teachers days to realise he had in fact attended the camp.”
The Gauteng Department of Education appointed independent law firm, Harris Nupen Molebatsi Inc, to investigate Mpianzi’s death, due to discrepancies in “alleged facts”, as stated by reports last week.
As the investigation into the tragic death of 13-year-old Enock Mpianzi got underway, it is alleged that a preliminary report by the Gauteng Education Department found the Grade 8 orientation camp of Parktown Boys’ High School was not approved by its district and head offices.
According to reports, Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said: “We have concluded that the principal of the school is the delegated authority with the responsibility for the safety of our pupils in schools. We have taken a decision to immediately suspend the principal of Parktown Boys and to serve him with a suspension letter in order for the investigation to proceed without hindrance.”
