Parliament has condemned the storming of a primary school in Gauteng by a controversial pastor and other suspects on Monday.
This comes after Paseka “Pastor Mboro” Motsoeneng was seen in a video posted on social media brandishing a panga and another man carrying a high-calibre assault rifle threatening educators and learners at Matsediso Primary School in Katlehong, Gauteng.
Motsoeneng and four suspects were due in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday following their arrest on Tuesday.
Chairperson of the select committee on education, sciences and creative industries, Makhi Feni, welcomed the arrests and said the behaviour witnessed was of the worst kind and should never be tolerated in schools.
“What we saw on the social media video was traumatic and should never have happened. It became clear that even the security at the school, if there is any, would have been threatened to confront the two men. Our children should not see what had happened,” Feni said.
“It is so ironic that a person calling himself a man of God and a pastor displays the most ungodly behaviour in front of young children. If anything, the men seemed mentally unstable,” he said.
Feni also said schools must be secured against this sort of behaviour.
“The safety of children should be guaranteed at all times inside the school premises. It would be preferable if an example could be made on this case, before anyone else would want to copy the same behaviour.”
Meanwhile, Feni noted the outcome of an incident at the Pretoria High School where 12 learners were absolved of alleged racist behaviour.
He also welcomed the Department of Basic Education’s inquiry into the incident.
“The probe will help guide on this sensitive matter, which South Africans should not take lightly given our history as a country,” the chairperson said.
Cape Times