Pupils pay tribute to ‘amazing’ slain deputy principal

“Once in a lifetime I got to meet an amazing teacher like you.” 

“We laughed, learned and were motivated by you.”

These are some of the tributes for slain teacher Thembisile Ngendane from pupils at Phomolong Secondary School in Thembisa on the East Rand.

Ngendane, 50, was gunned down by three men outside the school on Friday.

On Monday, Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi visited the school.

Pupils could be seen carrying candles and balloons with “RIP” (rest in peace) printed on them. Flowers have been placed at the school’s gate where Ngendane took her last breath. 

A group of parents sang church hymns in the school hall. 

Lesufi said when he received the bad news on Friday, he felt numb.

“South Africans don’t understand what it takes to prepare a good teacher or the role our teachers are playing to nurture our children,” he said.

“I felt I needed to come to you teachers and to be in the same space and same room with you to express how deeply hurt we are.

“It can’t be business as usual when a deputy principal has been killed, especially because you don’t even know if you are safe. 

“Police have assigned a task team to track the perpetrators within 72 hours.” 

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