Drowned pupils: ‘drunk’ teachers blamed

The parents of three KZN pupils who drowned on a school excursion want answers amid reports that the teachers who accompanied them were drinking.

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Durban - The families of three pupils who drowned on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast are demanding answers from the 10 teachers who had accompanied them on a school netball and soccer excursion.

Zanele Vibima, 14, and Nomvula Zondi, 14, were confirmed dead on Saturday night - while the body of another pupil, Siyanda Buthelezi - who had apparently heroically saved the lives of other pupils - has yet to be found.

Police said last night the search for the 17-year-old was continuing.

Zanele’s family said they were shocked.

While her mother, Bongiwe Vibima, sat quietly on a mourning mattress, a tiny candle burning next to her, grandmother Tholakele told of the huge loss to the family.

She said they were struggling to come to terms with her death.

The family said Siyanda had rescued Zanele’s cousin, Buleh, and a neighbour.

But the parents of the pupils are incensed by claims that the teachers had been drinking alcohol while their children were drowning at Margate Beach.

Nomvula’s father, Bongani Zondi, said his daughter had been excited to go on the trip and had been joyous and bubbly when she left home at about 5.30am on Saturday.

“It was her first trip,” he recalled. “I gave her my second phone because we expected they would come back late, so that she could call me to fetch her when she got back.

“Her last words to me were thank you,” he said.

Zondi said he had a bad feeling that day and tried to call his daughter at about 1pm to tell her not to swim, but could not reach her.

“She called me back after two hours and I missed her call, and when I tried again I couldn’t reach her,” he said.

The pupils - who were travelling with the teachers to a South Coast school to play soccer and netball - had paid R180 each.

A trip to the beach had been part of the excursion. The group had apparently arrived at the beach at 5pm and swam without lifeguards on duty.

Zondi said: “The explanation we got from the principal was not enough because he was not there, so we would appreciate an explanation from the teachers.

“I am angry because it took white people who were far away in their homes to realise that the kids were drowning when the teachers were there.

“We have been told they were busy drinking and having nice times while our kids were dying,” he said.

“I don’t want people to play games with us because these are the lives of our children that we are talking about.

“One teacher we were communicating with even denied that my daughter was dead and when we called again there was no answer on the phone,” he said angrily.

Holidaymakers Adriaan and Annamarie Muller rescued six drowning pupils.

Two other pupils were rescued by bystanders.

Nomvula’s 13-year-old cousin, Luyanda, was among the pupils saved by Siyanda.

“Those teachers were careless, I do not understand why at 5pm they still decided to take the kids to the beach, they were supposed to look at the beach and say, ‘OK, it’s late, we can’t swim anymore’,” Luyanda’s mother, Nomthandazo, said.

When the Daily News arrived at Sibongumusa High School, in the village of KwaSwayimane, near Wartburg, on Monday, it appeared no classes were taking place.

Survivors were sent home after breaking down in front of their peers.

School principal, Sthe Khanyile, declined to be interviewed and said he was barred from speaking to the media.

Education MEC Peggy Nkonyeni’s spokesman, S’celo Khuzwayo, said the MEC would visit the three families today when she would engage them on what had transpired.

On the claims that teachers had been drinking alcohol, Khuzwayo said: “There is an investigation under way which will look at where the teachers were when the drownings happened, and all circumstances about the trip.

“Once the investigation has concluded, we will be in a better position, but this is a matter that the MEC takes very seriously,” he said.

Siyanda’s family went to the beach on Monday to find answers and in the hope that his body would surface.

“We cannot say that if he did not save those kids he would still be alive, it just means his time had come and God is the one that decided it will happen in this way,” said his grandfather, Lazarus.

Daily News

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