Pupil choked by protesting teacher
Buyekezwa Makwabe and Prega Govender Published:Jun 10, 2007

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Traumatised: Tasneem Beukes was choked by a striking teacher at her school while she was writing an exam. Picture: Esa Alexander


Tasneem Beukes spent three gruelling days studying for her maths exam.

She was only 30 minutes into her questionnaire when striking teachers burst into the exam hall, tore her mathematics paper to shreds and throttled her.

Beukes, an 18-year-old pupil at Malibu High School in Cape Town, is just one of the victims of violence that has marred the national strike for better pay.

At the start of the exam on Monday, the pupils could hear singing outside.

“We complained to the teachers that we couldn’t concentrate and they told us to wait until they stop singing and then continue, but it was getting loud,” said Beukes.

“The song was in Xhosa; all we could hear was the whistling,” said a classmate, Ashlyn La-Meyer, 17.

Then all hell broke loose when teachers from the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union danced their way into the school hall.

When the pupils defied orders to stop writing, strikers started grabbing exam papers. Beukes held on to hers.

“When that man choked me, I let go my paper and he let go of me. I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna die.’ When he let go, I walked out,” she said.

Beukes said her assailant looked aggressive when she refused to let go of her paper. She thought he was going to hit or punch her. Instead he grabbed her by the neck and wrestled for the paper with his other hand.

Beukes was not the only one who suffered trauma. Hysterical pupils burst into tears and a Grade 11 pupil, who was writing a geography paper, suffered an asthma attack.

The incident has been condemned by Western Cape Education MEC Cameron Dugmore and outraged parents who volunteered to act as bodyguards while pupils wrote exams later in the week.

Malibu principal Ricky Esterhuizen said: “[The teachers] told me that a collective strike means that everyone should participate.”

Esterhuizen said a group of teachers tried to stop exams at neighbouring Kleinvlei High School, but were prevented from gaining access to the classrooms.

“Of 51 teachers at my school, only 15 went on strike on Monday and by Wednesday the number had gone down to nine,” said Esterhuizen.

Provincial education spokesman Gert Witbooi said several school principals in the Western Cape had been threatened.

He said 16000 of 30000 teachers went on strike this week.

On Friday the department called on the union leadership to restrain members from intimidating pupils and teachers.

“We’re very concerned that strikers are traumatising learners and they are going to make the parents angry. I got a call from a parent from Paarl. He was complaining that his daughter came home crying; apparently some of the strikers intimidated learners and traumatised the child. And the parent was saying that if the department cannot protect our children we are going to take the law into our own hands,” said Witbooi.

Areas where schools were worst hit by the strike includes Guguletu, Crossroads, Nyanga and Mitchells Plain. Some schools have closed indefinitely, including Zisukhanyo High School on the Cape Flats.

Nationally, mid-year examinations at schools in five of the nine provinces have been postponed by provincial education departments.

Examinations in the Free State, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and North West will now be written only once the public servants’ strike is over.

Limpopo’s Education Department, which admitted that the majority of schools had been affected by the strike, had not taken a decision on whether or not to postpone the examinations.

Limpopo spokesman Ndo Mangala said pupils in some schools were writing mid-year examinations.

“Our Grade 12 trial examinations have not been affected because we decided to schedule it for August and September,” he said.

A similar situation exists in Mpumalanga where some schools have already written the examinations while exams at other schools that were disrupted by the strike would be rescheduled.

Johannesburg - There will be no schooling from Friday when the country's largest teachers' union goes on "indefinite strike action", said the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu).

General secretary Thulas Nxesi said after a meeting of the union's national strike council in Johannesburg: "On Friday morning in our sector there will be no schooling.

"There will be picketing, mass meetings and marches to mobilise our members."

Sadtu has 230 000 members and represents almost two-thirds of the country's teachers.

The indefinite strike would be called off only once union demands were met.

Nxesi said any disruption to services would be the employer's responsibility.

Must be a 'real offer'

"The blame must be put at the door of the employers who have dragged negotiations for eight months."

"Negotiations will depend not just on pussy-footing...negotiations can happen only when there's a real offer."

He said the government had brought nothing new to the negotiations at Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council this week.

The last-minute talks called by the government broke down in the early hours of Wednesday.

At a lunchtime media briefing, Sadtu president Willie Madisha said unions had not received a revised offer of 6.5%.

Madisha was referring to media reports on Wednesday on a discussion document drawn up by a technical committee consisting of government and union negotiators.

It was said to contain a proposal that the wage increase should be between 6.5% and 9%.

Nxesi said the union could comment only on an official offer.

The union remained committed to negotiations, he said.

"Any settlement will come from negotiations. We remain committed to negotiations (and) will never refuse negotiations."

Madisha said: "We want to see real negotiations... a real offer on the table."

The bargaining council was set to meet again on Wednesday afternoon.

The government had stuck to its 6% wage increase offer and the public service unions still demanded 12%.

Calls for support

Madisha condemned the government's assertion that workers did not understand the state's offer as it "undermines the intelligence of the workers".

He urged South Africans to support the public-service workers.

Nxesi said school principals had the right to take part in the industrial action.

Sadtu is the largest union in the public service and is affiliated to the Congress of SA Trade Unions.

the North West, eight schools girls who were arrested after an altercation with striking teachers were released into the custody of their parents.

Police spokesperson Captain Lesego Metsi said the girls from Kebonang High School in Mmabatho were charged for public violence and common assault.

The girls were allegedly part of a group of enraged pupils who barricaded roads with burning tyres and pelted passing motorists with stones in protest against teachers going on strike.

Spokesperson for the North West department of education Charles Raseala said pupils at the school became enraged when a group of teachers who were union members tried to enter the premises to "intimidate" teachers who were not part of the strike action.

"The girls apparently got upset when union leaders went to their school on Monday morning... they wanted to be taught."

When police arrived at the scene, pupils threw a stone at one of them, leading to the arrest of the eight girls.

Striking teachers tore up exam scripts and manhandled a pupil at Malibu Secondary School, in Blue Downs in Cape Town, said the Western Cape education department.

Education MEC Cameron Dugmore had been outraged to learn of the incident, involving about 30 strikers, said his spokesperson Gert Witbooi.

The strikers arrived at the school and asked the principal if they could speak to union members at the school.

While waiting for the principal to arrange the meeting, they allegedly entered the school hall where Grade 11 and 12 learners were writing geography and maths exams.

They demanded the pupils exam papers and scripts, some of which they tore up, said Witbooi.

"One of the group manhandled a female learner who refused to hand over her script, grabbing her around the neck, according to our report from the school."

The exams were abandoned. The pupils would be offered counselling by school psychologists on Tuesday.

He said the group of strikers moved on to Kleinvlei Secondary School in Eerste River where the principal refused to allow them onto the premises.

Western Cape education department head Ron Swartz said the department would investigate fully with a view to disciplinary action.

A group of protesting teachers also allegedly went on a rampage and ransacked a primary school in Ennerdale, south of Johannesburg, before assaulting the principal and stealing from him, Vaal Rand police said.

Spokesperson Inspector Trudie Wilken said the group allegedly trashed the St George's Primary School building and damaged some of the equipment.

"They also assaulted the principal and some of the teachers on duty, then took the principal's laptop and a cellphone."

The principal has since opened cases of assault, malicious damage to property and theft at a local police station, she said.

Other teachers assaulted have not yet opened cases but police are investigating the incidents. No arrests have been made.

In Cape Town Monroe Mkalipi, Western Cape chairperson of the Congress of SA Trade Unions provided some amusement saying the current "harsh" conditions faced by public service employer influenced more than just their income.

"The harshness that we have in all our workplaces is so severe to such a point that when you get home at night it becomes a problem expanding our families," he said. - Sapa

Wow since I gotten back to work I have not touched sides. I got a promotions cus my manager has resigned & I am to take over alot of his work load. I am terrified as I hate not knowing what I am doing. This is going to be a HUGE learning curve.
The directors have yet to decide what my new title is or if I will be getting a raise (am gonna fight for one)

The kids are doing great.

The boys father paid child support for the first time in 8 years... yeah that does explain the freezing weather. I hope he keeps it up.

Currently in South africa a large number of trade unions are on strike including the teachers so the kids have not been going to school as it is to dangerous for them to go. These so called educators actually attack teacher who do go to work & even some of the kids have been attacked..I decided to keep Daniel home till I am 100% happy he will be safe. I can not believe that these hooligans are actually educating ou children, just proves that we live in a very sick world.

There is still no news about Steffy's adoption cus now I have to phone the birth mother & I have not plucked up the courage to do so.... hell what do I say to her.."hello I am Steffys mommy & I need to know where you husband is so that I can get a documnet from him saying he is not her father". Hell I have been putting this off for a week.

I do not want to hurt this women for doing the right thing, I do not want to open her wounds. But what other choice do I have.

According to the courts her husband can contest the adoption cus Steffy has his surname & was born in a marriage even though she is a product of an affair.....

hope you are all well..... huggles

Well I am back from a few days leave which was much needed. I spent it sewing, resting & nursing sick kids. Yeah the whole lot had flu.

I must admit that not much has been going on....

Since my sister lost her baby she has become depressed & down (which is understandable) anyway her DH who I must admit I do not like much decided that she needed some cheering up so he is flying my mom to the UK for 3 weeks. My mom is so excited. I honestly hope that she can cheer my sister up.

Orian is currently writing his mid year exams I hope he does well.

Currently our teachers are on strike so there has been no school since Friday which really does not make me happy. Anyway I contacted Daniels school & by the looks of things teaching will be back to normal tomorrow.

My direct manager has resigned & I am so happy about it. There is a chance for a promotion here for me so I am crossing my fingers & toes.

THE ADOPTION!!!!

Well this is where things stand. Steffy's birth mother has not contacted her husband to get the affidavit from him saying that he is not the childs biological father. So now we have to advertise in 3 newspapers for 3 consecutive days, but before we do this we have to contact the birth mother & warn her that tis is happening & give her a final chance to tell her husband about Steffy.
There is a very good chance that he can contest the adoption.(I am terrified that this will happen). DH & I will call the birth mother tomorrow.

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my shape to keep.
Please no wrinkles, Please no bags
And please lift my butt before it sags.
Please no age spots, Please no gray
And as for my belly, Please take it away.
Please keep me healthy, Please keep me young,
And thank you Dear Lord, For all that you've done.

Five tips for a woman....
1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job.
2. It is important that a man makes you laugh.
3. It is important to find a man you can count on and doesn't lie to
You.
4. It is important that a man loves you and spoils you.
5. It is important that these four men don't know each other.

Foot Note:
One saggy boob said to the other saggy boob:
"If we don't get some support soon, people will think we're nuts."