Tragic Eastern Cape attack prompts unions and Parliament to call for action on pens-down parties
Three people died and seven were injured in a violent attack during a pens-down party near East London this week.
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The deaths of three people and the injury of seven others during a “pens-down” party in Nompumelelo Township, just outside East London, have sparked renewed condemnation of these end-of-term celebrations.
The victims were attacked over the weekend in what appears to have been a deliberate assault by a group of young men suspected to be part of a local gang. While two people initially died, a third person succumbed to injuries in hospital.
Teachers’ unions and Parliament’s Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries have responded with concern, warning about the dangers of unsupervised parties where alcohol is freely available to young people.
Thirona Moodley of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) said the union was saddened by the incident.
"Pens-down parties must be regulated, and no alcohol consumption must be allowed.”
She stressed the need for ongoing education about substance abuse. “Our schools must reinforce the dangers of underage alcohol consumption and drug use at every opportunity. We act very strongly after an incident of this nature, and we later forget about regular reinforcement.”
Moodley called for accountability at all levels. “The Department of Basic Education must hold provincial departments accountable for mandatory campaigns that must be held in provinces, particularly high schools and high-risk communities.
“Parents have a huge role to play in this regard. More often than not, learners copy the behaviour of their parents. Parents must be good role models to their children.”
SADTU KZN provincial secretary Nomarashiya Caluza said the incident reflected the violence that pupils were exposed to in their communities .
“All school-related programmes must have teachers’ present to ensure that nothing goes wrong. However, there are events that learners organise by themselves outside school, and no adult is there to ensure that they are guarded all the time. It is normally during these events where learners are alone and outside the school that they engage in alcohol, leading to them being drunk.”
“The responsibility here lies with the parents and community,” she said.
Chairperson of the Select Committee, Elleck Nchabeleng Feni, said the committee was shocked by the deaths. “The committee sends its deepest and heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.
“It is concerning that fatal alcohol-related incidents involving learners are becoming increasingly common in the country. Social gatherings where learners are allowed to use alcohol should be criminalised.
“Society must not tire in condemning the pens-down culture. This is so reminiscent of the recent Enyobeni incident, which is the subject of an inquiry, that resulted in the deaths of 21 learners in the same vicinity. We condemn these actions, whether learners were involved or not; law enforcement must also leave no stone unturned in this.”