Gauteng school principal, teachers held hostage at gunpoint

MEC for Education in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, has slammed the alleged robbery of several staff members at AB Phokompe High School in Randfontein.

The Gauteng Education Department said in a statement on Sunday night that Initial reports had indicated that two armed men had arrived at the school on Friday afternoon after gaining entry onto the premises on false pretenses. The two suspects had claimed that they had a scheduled appointment with the principal. The men then held several educators, as well as the principal, hostage.

The gang of armed robbers then proceeded to rob teachers and the principal of their personal belongings including items such as cellphones, jewellery, money and five laptops. It is alleged that the men sought to gain access to the school’s strong room. They were explicitly looking for an employee in charge of the strong room keys. The men fled the scene in a getaway car without gaining access to the strong room.

The teachers and principal who were held hostage were not harmed during the incident and will receive counselling from the department’s Psycho-social Unit on Monday.

Police are investigating circumstances surrounding the armed robbery.

“We condemn this cowardly act of targeting our schools by criminal elements in our communities and call on the Randfontein community to assist the police in bringing those responsible to book. We call upon law enforcement to apprehend these suspects and bring them to justice,” Lesufi said.