Photo: Anemone123 / Pixabay.com
Photo: Anemone123 / Pixabay.com
The Gauteng Education Department has been rocked by tragic news over the past week, with two students from schools in the province having died in apparent suicide incidents.
Panyaza Lesufi, Gauteng Education’s spokesperson, said that the department has learnt with great sadness that a grade 10 boy from the Emadwaleni Secondary School in Soweto and a grade 7 boy from the PS Fourie Primary School in Eersterust took their own lives, with counselling being made available to grieving classmates and the bereaved families.
A third student also died in the province last week after falling ill during a football match, the department confirmed.
Three deaths in Gauteng schools last week
In a statement issued on Thursday 9 September, the Department said that the grade 10 student had been found hanging from a tree near his home after an apparent domestic dispute.
“Initial reports indicate the boy learner allegedly hung himself after quarrelling with his parents. His body was found next to a park near his home and was removed from the scene by the Gauteng Pathology Services,” they said.
The second school suicide took place later in the week, and the department said that support is available to students and families who are devastated by the tragic incident.
“Our reports allege that the boy learner died as a result of suicide. It is also alleged that he had not been attending classes since the beginning of term three on 26 July 2021. Our psycho-social unit continues to provide support to the families and fellow classmates of the learners who passed away,” they said.
Suicide prevention: How to get help
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) released Teen Suicide Prevention guidelines, which highlights warnings signs of suicide, how to ask a friend or family member for help, and who to contact.
The SA Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) can be reached on 011 234 4837 from 8:00 to 20:00 on Mondays to Sundays. The emergency line is 0800 567 567, and the 24-hr helpline: 0800 567 567 [www.sadag.org]. Alternatively, LifeLine can reached on 0861 322 322 (24hrs) [www.lifelinesa.co.za] and the Lifeline Western Cape WhatsApp chat is 063 709 2620. Additional resources and contact groups for various provinces can be found on www.suicide.org.
