Five Laerskool Bekker staff members face DC over pupil’s drowning death

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi says his Department is speeding up the investigation into the drowning of Keamogetswe Seboko who died on school grounds.

Seboko’s body was found floating in the swimming pool of Laerskool Bekker on 15 January this year, the same day that Parktown Boys’ High School pupil Enoch Mpianzi drowned while on an orientation camp at the Nyati Bush and River Break Lodge in the North West.

It’s understood that Seboko had been swimming with around 60 other pupils during school hours when the incident happened.

His body was discovered after the rest of the learners had left the swimming pool.

DC action

Gauteng’s Education MEC met with the school governing body Saturday to present a report on the back of an independent investigation looking into the tragedy.

The report ruled out murder, but found that the school and the Department of Education were negligent in relation to the death of the 13-year-old.

Lesufi says his department will take disciplinary action against five staff members from the Laerskool Bekker over Seboko’s death, adding that the department has given the school a grace period to overlook the report, before creating criteria for suitable compensation.

“The circumstances are very sensitive – very difficult. What we’re doing as a department, we are using previous court cases that are similar as a barometer.”

School governing body chair Willie Dry said the tragedy has caused turmoil for educators and pupils.

“We took the school through the summary of the report. We have accepted the recommendations that ask us to take disciplinary action against five personnel of the school. We are asking the SGB to assist us to facilitate that process. We have also accepted that the Department is liable. We are releasing our legal team this week to speak to the legal team of the family to arrive at a settlement.”

“We reserve the right to go through the report and advise our legal team. It’s been hard on the school, there have been a lot of false allegations that we had to take on the chin. With the family, how can you replace a son, you can’t. We said we will give 100% of our transparency and help,” Dry added.