Principal feared for his life after receiving death threats

THE family of the slain Buyani Primary School principal Lazarous Baloyi say they are still in shock but say that the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union member had received death threats before he was shot and killed on Friday at the school’s driveway by an unknown gunman.

According to a family spokesperson, who was reluctant to speak to the media, Baloyi became the school’s principal in 2016, but started receiving threats from March this year.

On Friday, Gauteng MEC of education Panyaza Lesufi, said the killing looked like a “hit” which was then confirmed by the family member who refused to share her name.

“Everything that the MEC said is the truth. Although he (Baloyi) at first thought the talks around his life being in danger were just rumours, he was very suspicious and was scared for his life. Now that this has happened, it is clear that those were not just rumours but that his life was indeed in danger,” she said.

Baloyi’s death is alleged to be the third killing in Finetown, south of Joburg, with two other principals said to have been shot dead from around the area recently.

Although Lesufi did not want to speculate on the reasons behind the killings, he said there were three common reasons for the rise in the number of principals targeted.

“The management of funds of schools in particular the procurement of textbooks, secondly it’s the appointments of teachers, HODs, principals and deputy principals – which is becoming contestatory and the third aspect is the calibre of leadership, where people believe that they can remove you and put themselves out there. And they go all out,” he said.

Lesufi, who called the murder barbaric, confirmed that the department would be assisting the police with key information such as the footage of the shooting and correspondence sent in March 2021 to his office complaining about issues at the school.

“We urge the police to, when doing their normal patrols, pay more attention to schools,” the MEC said.

The community of Finetown has since been on high alert with some parents not allowing their children to play in streets.

Thirty-five-year-old Oarabile Mokwena, who spoke highly of the late principal, said she was met by terrible gunshot sounds on her way back from the shops and it was at that point where she decided that her daughter – who is a Grade 3 learner at the school – would not be going. All of this happened at around 7am.

“I was coming back from the shops and I saw a group of people gathering at the school. Fearing for my life and that of my daughter, I rushed back inside the house and waited for everything to calm down before going to investigate. I’m now concerned about the safety of my children as we have no clue what is really going on,” she said.

On Baloyi, she said, “he was a very good man who was helpful towards me. My daughter is epileptic and every time she would be admitted, he would show concern by offering his support. What happened to that man is cruel and has left us shaken”.