Lawyers probing school camp deaths find principal's conduct 'extremely concerning'

The law firm that probed the deaths of two pupils from Daveyton Skills School in Benoni recommended the principal face a disciplinary hearing and the camp organiser be reported. 

Two pupils from the school, Sibusiso Sibiya, 17, and Siphamandla Peterson, 15, drowned in April in Centurion while attending a “discipline camp” at Rock Falls Ranch Adventure when tragedy struck. 

Seanego Attorneys, which was tasked with investigating the circumstances, recommended that the Gauteng department of education report Rising Star Generation, the NGO which hosted the camp, to the department of social development.

“The department should provide psychological support to the relevant stakeholders including the school, the affected families and the learners.

“Disciplinary action should be taken against the principal of Daveyton Skills schools and squarely against her,” said lead investigator Thembekile Graham from the firm.

Though there are some uncertainties regarding the precise circumstances of the accident, the firm concluded that the incident likely occurred about 2pm after the usual activities had taken place during the day. 

Graham said pupils had done their laundry and others had finished their lessons on a car engine with the founder of the camp, Prince Motlou.

" Some were sleeping, others were cooking and most of the facilitators were scattered about the camp. A group of learners began to swim in the dam for a short while,” she said.

The report found that pupils either swam after requesting permission and being refused or after being permitted by Motlou to swim.

“This is where the confusion arises because of the different versions from the learners.”

Sibiya and Peterson were among the group of pupils who went to swim in the dam.

“Siphamandla was drowning when Sbusiso tried to save him and in the process, Sbusiso drowned as well. The learners that were about in the dam were screaming and shouting and pointing at the spot where the learners had disappeared into the water,” said Graham.

Motlou and some of the facilitators who had been shouting jumped into the water and attempted to save the pupils. 

One of the facilitators who jumped in almost drowned but was saved and subsequently resuscitated.

“At some point while the incident was taking place two other facilitators ran to the camp owner's home and informed him of the accident. They asked him to drain the dam urgently, which he refused to do,” she said.

The two pupils were pronounced dead by paramedics.

During the investigation, the firm held consultations and interviews with the families of the two pupils, the founder of the NGO, relevant personnel from the school including the principal, two deputy principals, administrators, the social worker and the departmental officials. 

The firm also received information anonymously. “We conducted an inspection in loco at the ranch where we met the owner and his attorney and we were told to address any question we might have in writing, which we did.   

“At the time of the report being finalised, we haven't received responses to our questions from the owner of the ranch despite various follow-ups,” said Graham.

The trip was not approved by the department, the school did not submit any application as required, and crucial safety measures were not adhered to by the school which could not be identified or corrected by the department.

Graham said the principal instructed that only the social worker accompany pupils and supervise them at the camp.

“There were no educators invited or appointed to attend the camp with the learners. The social worker being the one person from the school appointed by the principal to attend and supervise the learners was allegedly in the restroom when she heard the commotion.” 

At the time the facilitators from Rising Star Generation were scattered about from the camp area but not by the dam when the incident took place.

Graham said the conduct of the principal was extremely concerning. She did not obtain the requisite approval from the department for the trip.

This resulted in various safety measures not being adhered to and the department did not have the opportunity to rectify the lack of security measures.

“She sent only one social worker to accompany and supervise the learners from the school camp. She failed to comply with the requisite learner-ratio in terms of the tour regulations.

“She relied on Mr Motlou and the facilitators of Rising Star who do not qualify as educators in accordance with the tour regulator,” she said.

The principal did not verify the qualifications of the facilitators but presented them to parents as specialists. The principal failed to inform the parents of the risks associated with the activities that were to be undertaken by the learners.

“She was remiss in her duties as the principal of the school. The principal reason for not complying with the regulations is that she did not know about these regulations.

“We find this version concerning especially because there were at least two occasions whereby the department emphasised the importance of complying with the regulations,” she said. 

GDE MEC Matome Chiloane said the disciplinary process would begin immediately since they had already received the report.

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