PUPIL STEALS GRANDFATHER’S GUN AFTER CLASH WITH CLASSMATE

MANZINI- A fight with his classmate resulted in a 16-year-old pupil of Lamawandla High School allegedly stealing his grandfather’s gun to deal with his opponent at school.

The incident, which has shocked both pupils and teachers, happened on Tuesday at around 1pm. Lamawandla is a public school situated on the outskirts of Manzini, at Luve. The pupil’s identity will be concealed to protect him as he is a minor. It was gathered that the boy was found with a 9mm pistol and two live rounds of .22 ammunition at school, which he had allegedly stolen from his grandfather to get back at his ‘friend’ who had offended him. The pupil was said to have been without a licence for the gun. According to an impeccable source, the pupil had a fight with his classmate, which he did not take kindly to.

Gun

He reportedly went home and stole his grandfather’s gun, which he put in his bag and took to school the next day. The source disclosed that around lunch-time, the boy took the gun out and brandished it in front of his friends, who were traumatised and informed the teachers. It is said the teachers promptly called the boy and informed the Mliba police about the matter.
“This really shocked us because you now never know what learners can do if they feel offended,” another source said. Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni confirmed that the police arrested and charged a 16-year-old boy for allegedly being found in possession of a pistol. However, the police spokesperson said the boy was in the custody of his guardians while police were investigating the matter.

The grandfather could not be reached for comment at the time of compiling this report as his phone rang unanswered. Lamawandla High School Head teacher who was identified as Sihlongonyane, said he could not comment as yet, since he had not formally informed the relevant stakeholders about the matter. Acting Manzini Regional Education Officer (REO) Sizwe Kunene, told this publication that he had not received the report. Save the Children Director, Dumsani Mnisi, said in this particular instance, the police did the right thing to release the minor to the custody of his guardians, as this was what the law provided for.

Aware

Mnisi mentioned that as far as he was aware, the owner of a gun must lock it up. “I have no excuse for my child being found with a gun. In the eyes of the law, I am guilty as charged because a gun is the owner’s responsibility,” the director said. Mnisi was of the view that if it was found in the wrong hands, the fault was the owner’s because he was the one who was negligent. The director asserted that the grandfather was guilty wherever he was because he was supposed to ensure that his gun was locked away for safety purposes. Meanwhile, Phindile Dlamini, a psychologist, said children exposed to gun violence may experience negative short and long-term psychological effects, including anger, withdrawal, post-traumatic stress disorder and desensitisation to violence.

Dlamini suggested that the minor could have been most likely exposed to such, or a similar trauma in his life, that ultimately resulted in him taking the gun to school. The psychologist said the mentioned outcomes could feed into a cycle of violence. “Groups at risk include children injured in gun violence, those who witness violent acts at close proximity, those exposed to high levels of violence in their communities or schools, and those exposed to violent media,” Dlamini said. She elaborated that the minor’s parents or guardians, school administration and mental health workers were the right people who could play a huge role in protecting the minor deal with his situation. She also mentioned that his classmates and friends required counselling to help them from the shock.

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