Tragic Farewell: Grade 9 Pupil, Unam Sishuba, Laid to Rest After Teacher Allegedly Sets Him Alight

“Tragic Farewell: Grade 9 Pupil, Unam Sishuba, Laid to Rest After Teacher Allegedly Sets Him Alight”

The funeral service for Unam Sishuba, the 17-year-old grade 9 pupil from Lavelilanga High School in Queenstown, Eastern Cape, took place recently after he lost his life in a shocking incident where his teacher allegedly set him on fire.

The heartbreaking event prompted the Eastern Cape MEC for education, Fundile Gade, to urge teachers to respect learners’ rights and the law, emphasizing the need to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Gade expressed condolences to the Sishuba family, calling the late pupil a “national treasure.” The alleged perpetrator, the teacher responsible for the crime, has been relieved of duties, and the South African Council for Educators has been notified.

The incident is part of a series of violent episodes in the province’s schools, including the recent shooting deaths of three high school pupils during year-end examinations.

The surviving pupil from Mzomhle High School is in critical condition but recovering. Gade strongly condemned the violence and crimes against learners and schools, urging society to collaborate in protecting students.

He called for the criminal justice system to impose severe sentences on those responsible for these heart-wrenching incidents, emphasizing the collective responsibility to safeguard learners in educational environments.

The tragic execution-style killing of a pupil from Parterson High School last week adds to the distressing pattern of violence in Eastern Cape schools.