Family tried to protect their son from violence. He was killed at school
DIMBAZA — The family of 16-year-old Siphosethu Jack had already moved him to another school in an attempt to protect him from violence before he was allegedly stabbed to death by another pupil inside a classroom at Kuyasa Senior Secondary School in Dimbaza, Eastern Cape.
That detail has placed the teenager’s death at the centre of renewed concerns over school safety, particularly whether existing interventions are doing enough to protect learners who are already known to be vulnerable to violence.
The National Department of Social Development said Jack was allegedly stabbed by another learner at Kuyasa Senior Secondary School. It said his family had previously transferred him to another school because they hoped the move would protect him from violence.
The department did not provide further details about the violence Jack had previously faced, whether the school or authorities had been alerted to a continuing threat, or the circumstances that led to the confrontation in the classroom.
Social Development Minister Dina Pule and Eastern Cape Social Development MEC Bukiwe Fanta condemned the killing on Friday, with Pule saying the case demonstrated the need for effective measures to keep schools free from violence and fear.
“We stand united in condemning this senseless act of violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with Siphosethu’s family during this incredibly difficult time,” Pule said.
The killing comes as government has already acknowledged the scale of violence within South African schools.
When the Department of Basic Education and the South African Police Service launched a renewed Safe Schools Protocol in June 2025, the department cited SAPS figures showing 28 murders had been recorded at basic education institutions during the 2023/24 financial year. Nearly half occurred in KwaZulu-Natal, while 46% involved learner-on-learner violence.
The protocol was intended to strengthen cooperation between schools and police stations and introduced measures including joint school safety audits, updated operating procedures and greater involvement from parents, school governing bodies, learners and civil society.
Yet fatal incidents involving learners have continued.
Last month, the North West Department of Education reported that another 16-year-old learner, from Ikatisong Secondary School near Brits, died after allegedly being stabbed following a disagreement with another learner. In that case, preliminary information indicated that the dispute had been continuing since the previous week.
Jack’s death presents another difficult question for authorities because his family had apparently already recognised a danger and taken the significant step of moving him to another school.
Fanta said the latest killing had increased anxiety among parents in Dimbaza and surrounding communities and called for schools, families, community leaders and law enforcement agencies to work together.
“We understand the anxiety that families feel when it comes to the safety of their children at school,” she said. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that schools are sanctuaries for learning and growth, not places of violence and fear.”
What remains unclear is what protection, if any, was put in place after Jack was transferred, whether authorities were aware of the circumstances behind the move and whether the pupil accused of stabbing him had any previous conflict with him.
For Jack’s family, the tragedy is particularly stark: they had already tried to remove their 16-year-old from violence. The place to which he was sent for protection did not ultimately keep him safe.
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