OUR CHILDREN DESERVE A FUNCTIONAL UMKOMAAS SECONDARY SCHOOL
The Issue
OUR CHILDREN DESERVE A FUNCTIONAL UMKOMAAS SECONDARY SCHOOL
A Community Petition for Urgent and Coordinated Intervention
Addressed to:
Hon. Arthur Thamsanqa “Thami” Ntuli
Premier of KwaZulu-Natal
Executive Authority: Department of Community Safety and Liaison
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education
IMPORTANT — YOUR PRIVACY
Parents and community members who are concerned about having their names publicly associated with this petition may use the available Change.org privacy option to prevent their names from being publicly displayed when signing.
We understand that some parents are genuinely afraid to speak openly because they fear their children may be victimised, bullied or targeted as a consequence.
Your child does not need to be identified.
Individual learners or alleged perpetrators do not need to be named publicly.
Your concern still counts.
This petition exists to demonstrate the collective level of concern and to ask the appropriate authorities to investigate, establish the facts and act.
WE WANT A FUNCTIONAL SCHOOL
We, Ward 99 Concerned Residents and Parents, together with the undersigned parents, guardians, former parents, former learners and members of the wider community, call for urgent intervention at Umkomaas Secondary School.
Our request is fundamental:
Let our school function.
We want a school where educators can teach and learners can learn.
Where discipline is effective and fair.
Where bullying is confronted.
Where security actually secures.
Where drugs, violence and intimidation are not normalised.
Where parents and learners can report serious concerns without fear.
Where management manages.
Where governance governs.
And where education comes first.
This is not an attack on Umkomaas Secondary School.
It is a community asking that every structure responsible for this school performs the function entrusted to it.
THIS IS OUR COMMUNITY’S ONLY HIGH SCHOOL
Umkomaas Secondary School is the only high school serving the immediate Umkomaas community.
For many families, moving their children to another area or paying for private education and additional transport is simply not an option.
Parents should not have to remove their children from their own community to access a safe and functional learning environment.
The children attending the school today matter.
So do the primary-school children who will depend upon it tomorrow.
The answer cannot be to move our children. The answer must be to make our school functional.
THE COMMUNITY IS SPEAKING
An anonymous community poll asked concerned parents and residents which problems they believed existed at Umkomaas Secondary School.
Participants could select more than one concern.
Based on the highest individual response, at least 82 people participated.
The responses were:
Drug sales and use — 82
Smoking and vaping — 79
Fighting and aggressive behaviour — 77
Bullying — 74
Drinking — 73
Inappropriate intimacy among learners — 72
Behavioural and disciplinary issues — 72
Inadequate supervision — 67
Security and access-control concerns — 61
Non-functioning SGB — 60
Alleged bribery involving security — 57
Inadequate communication from management — 57
A poll does not prove an allegation.
But these results demonstrate that the concerns are not confined to one parent, one child or one incident.
THE CONCERNS RUN DEEPER THAN LEARNER MISBEHAVIOUR
Accounts received from current parents, former parents, former SGB members and community members raise concerns involving:
Drugs and suspected dealing.
Fighting and violence.
Bullying.
Alleged gang activity.
Intimidation and fear of retaliation.
Alcohol, smoking and vaping.
Security and access control.
Inadequate supervision.
Discipline and management.
Governance.
Deteriorating infrastructure.
Inadequate resources.
And the absence of adequate sporting facilities.
Some matters have been directly witnessed.
Some are first-hand experiences.
Some come from people previously involved in school governance.
Others remain allegations requiring investigation.
We are not asking government to accept every allegation as fact.
We are asking government to find out.
DRUGS — FOLLOW THE SUPPLY
The strongest response in the community poll concerns drug sales and use.
This concern is not new.
A former SGB member states that registers were previously maintained recording learner transgressions and recalls that a significant proportion involved the purchasing of suspected narcotics.
The former SGB member further recalls questioning why a learner allegedly caught purchasing narcotics could face suspension while apparently little or no effective action followed against the alleged seller or source.
That raises a fundamental question:
IF THE BUYER IS IDENTIFIED, WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT THE SELLER?
Where historical school, security or SAPS records exist relating to suspected drugs, weapons or confiscations, we ask that they be located, preserved and examined.
We do not want an intervention that catches individual children while leaving an alleged supply network untouched.
If drugs are being supplied to our children, follow the supply.
ALLEGED GANGS AND INTIMIDATION DO NOT STOP AT THE SCHOOL GATES
Parents have raised serious concerns regarding alleged gang-related activity and organised intimidation among learners.
More disturbing are reports that some relationships allegedly extend beyond the school grounds, with outside persons providing backup or support to learners involved in intimidation, violence or suspected drug activity.
There are reports that children fear identifying perpetrators because of possible retaliation.
A child who is too afraid to report bullying, violence, gangs or drugs because reporting may make them the next target is not experiencing a safe learning environment.
If persons outside the school are supplying drugs, intimidating children or supporting gang-related activity, this cannot be solved through ordinary school discipline.
It requires law enforcement.
BULLYING IS ALREADY HURTING CHILDREN
One parent reports that sustained bullying had such a serious impact on their child that professional therapeutic intervention became necessary.
The parent states that written correspondence from the child’s treating professional was submitted to the school informing management of the impact of the bullying.
According to the parent, no effective intervention has followed to date.
The child will not be identified.
This petition is not about exposing children. It is about protecting them.
Multiple parents have expressed fear that speaking openly may result in their children being victimised.
Parents should never have to choose between speaking up for their child and protecting their child from retaliation.
DISCIPLINE MUST BE EFFECTIVE — AND FAIR
Parents support discipline.
A school cannot function without boundaries and consequences.
But parents have raised concerns about learners reportedly being excluded from classes or kept away from school as a disciplinary response, while serious misconduct by others is perceived as going inadequately addressed.
One parent reports that their child remained at home following an incident in which the parent alleges the child was assaulted by three other learners. The parent disputes the subsequent handling of the matter and reports that the alleged aggressors remained at school.
We do not ask this petition to determine who was responsible in an individual dispute.
We ask:
Are disciplinary procedures being applied fairly, consistently and effectively?
Children responsible for serious misconduct must face appropriate consequences.
Victims must be protected.
Accused learners must be treated fairly.
And children should not unnecessarily lose access to education because disciplinary systems themselves are not functioning effectively.
SECURITY AND ACCESS CONTROL MUST BE INVESTIGATED
Questions have been raised regarding how drugs, prohibited items and other inappropriate objects enter the school environment.
There are also allegations involving payments to security personnel by learners.
We do not present those allegations as established fact. We ask that they be investigated.
The authorities need to establish whether:
access control is adequate;
learner movement into and out of the school is properly controlled;
confiscated drugs, weapons and prohibited items are properly recorded;
security incidents are appropriately escalated; and
allegations involving payments to security personnel have substance.
PREVIOUS POLICE INTERVENTIONS REQUIRE REVIEW
A former SGB member has made a serious allegation concerning a previous police operation at the school.
According to this account, during a previous police intervention or raid, certain educators allegedly encouraged or influenced learners to confront police officers, with the situation reportedly escalating to learners picking up bricks.
This allegation requires independent verification.
We ask the Department and SAPS to establish what occurred, what prompted the operation, what was found, what incidents were recorded and what action followed.
THE PROBLEMS ARE CURRENT
On 17 August 2026, another physical altercation was reported at Umkomaas Secondary School.
According to information received, two learners alleged to be involved in drug dealing became involved in a fight. A teacher and a security staff member attempting to intervene were reportedly shoved aside.
The allegation concerning drug dealing requires verification.
The reported violence nevertheless adds urgency to concerns surrounding discipline, educator safety and control of the school environment.
We should not have to wait for a serious injury or tragedy before decisive intervention occurs.
A FUNCTIONAL SCHOOL ALSO NEEDS FUNCTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Parents have raised concerns regarding deteriorating infrastructure, inadequate resources and the absence of adequate sporting facilities.
We ask the Department to establish the school’s actual funding and resource position and assess its infrastructure, maintenance and sporting needs.
Children need constructive opportunities alongside discipline.
Sport and extracurricular activities provide structure, teamwork, discipline, belonging and positive outlets.
These issues should form part of a whole-school functionality assessment.
GOVERNANCE MUST BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
The SGB has important governance responsibilities and must be supported to fulfil them effectively.
It is also noted that the current SGB Chairperson is a member of the South African Police Service.
We recognise that the Chairperson serves on the SGB in a governance capacity and is not personally responsible for policing the school.
However, this professional experience may provide valuable insight into strengthening cooperation between the school, the SGB, SAPS and the relevant school-safety structures.
Given the concerns being raised regarding drugs, violence, intimidation and alleged gang-related activity, we believe that stronger formal collaboration with the appropriate law-enforcement structures would greatly benefit the school and its learners.
At the same time, an SGB cannot resolve all of these problems alone.
Professional school management, the Department of Education, Community Safety, SAPS and other appropriate structures must each fulfil their respective responsibilities.
Every structure must perform its function — and those structures must work together.
WHY WE ARE APPEALING DIRECTLY TO PREMIER THAMI NTULI
Premier Ntuli placed the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Community Safety and Liaison under the Office of the Premier and serves as its Executive Authority.
This is significant because the concerns surrounding Umkomaas Secondary School cross directly between education and community safety.
They potentially involve drugs, gangs, intimidation, violence and criminal activity alongside education, governance and infrastructure.
We are not asking Premier Ntuli to personally manage the school or conduct criminal investigations.
We are asking him to bring the necessary structures together.
A problem involving education, community safety and potential criminality cannot be solved effectively if every authority operates in isolation.
WE WANT SPECIALISED LAW-ENFORCEMENT INVOLVEMENT
Where credible evidence supports the allegations, we specifically request the involvement of:
SAPS;
appropriate specialised drug/narcotics investigative capabilities;
appropriate gang and organised-crime investigative capabilities;
crime intelligence where appropriate;
and relevant child-protection and community-safety structures.
A once-off raid is not enough.
If drugs are being supplied to children:
FOLLOW THE SUPPLY.
If gangs are operating:
INVESTIGATE THE NETWORK.
If people outside the gates are intimidating children:
TAKE THE INVESTIGATION BEYOND THE GATES.
If children are afraid to report:
PROTECT THE CHILDREN WHO SPEAK.
School management, educators and an SGB cannot dismantle alleged drug-supply networks or organised criminal activity.
That requires the appropriate authorities.
WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR
We call upon Premier Thami Ntuli, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and the relevant safety and law-enforcement authorities to implement a coordinated intervention that includes:
An urgent whole-school functionality assessment covering management, governance, discipline, learner supervision, safety, infrastructure and resources.
A comprehensive school-safety and risk assessment.
Investigation of suspected drug sales, supply and use, including the sources supplying learners.
Appropriate specialised narcotics/drug, gang, organised-crime and intelligence involvement where evidence or intelligence justifies it.
Investigation of alleged gang activity, intimidation and retaliation, including activity extending beyond the school gates.
Review of historical school, security and available SAPS records concerning drugs, weapons, violence and serious incidents.
A full review of security and access control, including allegations concerning payments to security personnel.
A review of bullying complaints and learner-protection procedures.
A confidential and independent reporting mechanism allowing learners, parents and staff to report drugs, bullying, violence, intimidation and other serious misconduct without unnecessary exposure.
A review of disciplinary procedures and implementation of the Code of Conduct to establish whether discipline is lawful, fair, consistent and effective.
An assessment of the functionality of the SGB and school management structures and identification of any intervention or support required.
An infrastructure, funding and resource assessment, including sporting and recreational facilities.
Appropriate behavioural, anti-bullying and substance-abuse support programmes for learners.
A review of previous SAPS interventions at the school and their outcomes.
Strengthened formal cooperation between the school, SGB, SAPS and appropriate school-safety structures.
A meeting with parents and community representatives, followed by a written corrective action plan identifying responsibilities, deadlines and mechanisms for reporting progress.
OUR CHILDREN GET ONE EDUCATION
We acknowledge that parents and learners themselves have responsibilities.
Our children are not exempt from accountability.
But children also require adults, institutions and systems capable of setting boundaries, enforcing them fairly, protecting them and guiding them.
Umkomaas Secondary School is our community’s only high school.
Its failure would not affect one family.
It would affect a generation of Umkomaas children.
LET UMKOMAAS SECONDARY SCHOOL FUNCTION
We are not asking government to accept every allegation without investigation.
We are asking government to investigate.
Find out what is true.
Correct what is failing.
Strengthen what is working.
Support the educators trying to teach.
Protect children who are being victimised.
Hold learners accountable where misconduct is established.
Investigate those allegedly supplying drugs to children.
Deal with gangs and intimidation where they are found.
Repair what needs repairing.
Strengthen governance where it is weak.
And give frightened parents and children a safe way to speak.
Silence will not protect the reputation of Umkomaas Secondary School. Fixing the problems will.
Premier Ntuli, the Department of Education and the relevant authorities:
Our community is asking you to intervene.
LET OUR EDUCATORS TEACH.
LET OUR CHILDREN LEARN.
LET OUR SCHOOL FUNCTION.
Respectfully submitted by
WARD 99 CONCERNED RESIDENTS AND PARENTS
For a safe, disciplined, accountable and functional Umkomaas Secondary School.
The school is listed by the Department of Basic Education under EMIS 500288119, at M14 Old Main Road, Roseneath
394
The Issue
OUR CHILDREN DESERVE A FUNCTIONAL UMKOMAAS SECONDARY SCHOOL
A Community Petition for Urgent and Coordinated Intervention
Addressed to:
Hon. Arthur Thamsanqa “Thami” Ntuli
Premier of KwaZulu-Natal
Executive Authority: Department of Community Safety and Liaison
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education
IMPORTANT — YOUR PRIVACY
Parents and community members who are concerned about having their names publicly associated with this petition may use the available Change.org privacy option to prevent their names from being publicly displayed when signing.
We understand that some parents are genuinely afraid to speak openly because they fear their children may be victimised, bullied or targeted as a consequence.
Your child does not need to be identified.
Individual learners or alleged perpetrators do not need to be named publicly.
Your concern still counts.
This petition exists to demonstrate the collective level of concern and to ask the appropriate authorities to investigate, establish the facts and act.
WE WANT A FUNCTIONAL SCHOOL
We, Ward 99 Concerned Residents and Parents, together with the undersigned parents, guardians, former parents, former learners and members of the wider community, call for urgent intervention at Umkomaas Secondary School.
Our request is fundamental:
Let our school function.
We want a school where educators can teach and learners can learn.
Where discipline is effective and fair.
Where bullying is confronted.
Where security actually secures.
Where drugs, violence and intimidation are not normalised.
Where parents and learners can report serious concerns without fear.
Where management manages.
Where governance governs.
And where education comes first.
This is not an attack on Umkomaas Secondary School.
It is a community asking that every structure responsible for this school performs the function entrusted to it.
THIS IS OUR COMMUNITY’S ONLY HIGH SCHOOL
Umkomaas Secondary School is the only high school serving the immediate Umkomaas community.
For many families, moving their children to another area or paying for private education and additional transport is simply not an option.
Parents should not have to remove their children from their own community to access a safe and functional learning environment.
The children attending the school today matter.
So do the primary-school children who will depend upon it tomorrow.
The answer cannot be to move our children. The answer must be to make our school functional.
THE COMMUNITY IS SPEAKING
An anonymous community poll asked concerned parents and residents which problems they believed existed at Umkomaas Secondary School.
Participants could select more than one concern.
Based on the highest individual response, at least 82 people participated.
The responses were:
Drug sales and use — 82
Smoking and vaping — 79
Fighting and aggressive behaviour — 77
Bullying — 74
Drinking — 73
Inappropriate intimacy among learners — 72
Behavioural and disciplinary issues — 72
Inadequate supervision — 67
Security and access-control concerns — 61
Non-functioning SGB — 60
Alleged bribery involving security — 57
Inadequate communication from management — 57
A poll does not prove an allegation.
But these results demonstrate that the concerns are not confined to one parent, one child or one incident.
THE CONCERNS RUN DEEPER THAN LEARNER MISBEHAVIOUR
Accounts received from current parents, former parents, former SGB members and community members raise concerns involving:
Drugs and suspected dealing.
Fighting and violence.
Bullying.
Alleged gang activity.
Intimidation and fear of retaliation.
Alcohol, smoking and vaping.
Security and access control.
Inadequate supervision.
Discipline and management.
Governance.
Deteriorating infrastructure.
Inadequate resources.
And the absence of adequate sporting facilities.
Some matters have been directly witnessed.
Some are first-hand experiences.
Some come from people previously involved in school governance.
Others remain allegations requiring investigation.
We are not asking government to accept every allegation as fact.
We are asking government to find out.
DRUGS — FOLLOW THE SUPPLY
The strongest response in the community poll concerns drug sales and use.
This concern is not new.
A former SGB member states that registers were previously maintained recording learner transgressions and recalls that a significant proportion involved the purchasing of suspected narcotics.
The former SGB member further recalls questioning why a learner allegedly caught purchasing narcotics could face suspension while apparently little or no effective action followed against the alleged seller or source.
That raises a fundamental question:
IF THE BUYER IS IDENTIFIED, WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT THE SELLER?
Where historical school, security or SAPS records exist relating to suspected drugs, weapons or confiscations, we ask that they be located, preserved and examined.
We do not want an intervention that catches individual children while leaving an alleged supply network untouched.
If drugs are being supplied to our children, follow the supply.
ALLEGED GANGS AND INTIMIDATION DO NOT STOP AT THE SCHOOL GATES
Parents have raised serious concerns regarding alleged gang-related activity and organised intimidation among learners.
More disturbing are reports that some relationships allegedly extend beyond the school grounds, with outside persons providing backup or support to learners involved in intimidation, violence or suspected drug activity.
There are reports that children fear identifying perpetrators because of possible retaliation.
A child who is too afraid to report bullying, violence, gangs or drugs because reporting may make them the next target is not experiencing a safe learning environment.
If persons outside the school are supplying drugs, intimidating children or supporting gang-related activity, this cannot be solved through ordinary school discipline.
It requires law enforcement.
BULLYING IS ALREADY HURTING CHILDREN
One parent reports that sustained bullying had such a serious impact on their child that professional therapeutic intervention became necessary.
The parent states that written correspondence from the child’s treating professional was submitted to the school informing management of the impact of the bullying.
According to the parent, no effective intervention has followed to date.
The child will not be identified.
This petition is not about exposing children. It is about protecting them.
Multiple parents have expressed fear that speaking openly may result in their children being victimised.
Parents should never have to choose between speaking up for their child and protecting their child from retaliation.
DISCIPLINE MUST BE EFFECTIVE — AND FAIR
Parents support discipline.
A school cannot function without boundaries and consequences.
But parents have raised concerns about learners reportedly being excluded from classes or kept away from school as a disciplinary response, while serious misconduct by others is perceived as going inadequately addressed.
One parent reports that their child remained at home following an incident in which the parent alleges the child was assaulted by three other learners. The parent disputes the subsequent handling of the matter and reports that the alleged aggressors remained at school.
We do not ask this petition to determine who was responsible in an individual dispute.
We ask:
Are disciplinary procedures being applied fairly, consistently and effectively?
Children responsible for serious misconduct must face appropriate consequences.
Victims must be protected.
Accused learners must be treated fairly.
And children should not unnecessarily lose access to education because disciplinary systems themselves are not functioning effectively.
SECURITY AND ACCESS CONTROL MUST BE INVESTIGATED
Questions have been raised regarding how drugs, prohibited items and other inappropriate objects enter the school environment.
There are also allegations involving payments to security personnel by learners.
We do not present those allegations as established fact. We ask that they be investigated.
The authorities need to establish whether:
access control is adequate;
learner movement into and out of the school is properly controlled;
confiscated drugs, weapons and prohibited items are properly recorded;
security incidents are appropriately escalated; and
allegations involving payments to security personnel have substance.
PREVIOUS POLICE INTERVENTIONS REQUIRE REVIEW
A former SGB member has made a serious allegation concerning a previous police operation at the school.
According to this account, during a previous police intervention or raid, certain educators allegedly encouraged or influenced learners to confront police officers, with the situation reportedly escalating to learners picking up bricks.
This allegation requires independent verification.
We ask the Department and SAPS to establish what occurred, what prompted the operation, what was found, what incidents were recorded and what action followed.
THE PROBLEMS ARE CURRENT
On 17 August 2026, another physical altercation was reported at Umkomaas Secondary School.
According to information received, two learners alleged to be involved in drug dealing became involved in a fight. A teacher and a security staff member attempting to intervene were reportedly shoved aside.
The allegation concerning drug dealing requires verification.
The reported violence nevertheless adds urgency to concerns surrounding discipline, educator safety and control of the school environment.
We should not have to wait for a serious injury or tragedy before decisive intervention occurs.
A FUNCTIONAL SCHOOL ALSO NEEDS FUNCTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Parents have raised concerns regarding deteriorating infrastructure, inadequate resources and the absence of adequate sporting facilities.
We ask the Department to establish the school’s actual funding and resource position and assess its infrastructure, maintenance and sporting needs.
Children need constructive opportunities alongside discipline.
Sport and extracurricular activities provide structure, teamwork, discipline, belonging and positive outlets.
These issues should form part of a whole-school functionality assessment.
GOVERNANCE MUST BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
The SGB has important governance responsibilities and must be supported to fulfil them effectively.
It is also noted that the current SGB Chairperson is a member of the South African Police Service.
We recognise that the Chairperson serves on the SGB in a governance capacity and is not personally responsible for policing the school.
However, this professional experience may provide valuable insight into strengthening cooperation between the school, the SGB, SAPS and the relevant school-safety structures.
Given the concerns being raised regarding drugs, violence, intimidation and alleged gang-related activity, we believe that stronger formal collaboration with the appropriate law-enforcement structures would greatly benefit the school and its learners.
At the same time, an SGB cannot resolve all of these problems alone.
Professional school management, the Department of Education, Community Safety, SAPS and other appropriate structures must each fulfil their respective responsibilities.
Every structure must perform its function — and those structures must work together.
WHY WE ARE APPEALING DIRECTLY TO PREMIER THAMI NTULI
Premier Ntuli placed the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Community Safety and Liaison under the Office of the Premier and serves as its Executive Authority.
This is significant because the concerns surrounding Umkomaas Secondary School cross directly between education and community safety.
They potentially involve drugs, gangs, intimidation, violence and criminal activity alongside education, governance and infrastructure.
We are not asking Premier Ntuli to personally manage the school or conduct criminal investigations.
We are asking him to bring the necessary structures together.
A problem involving education, community safety and potential criminality cannot be solved effectively if every authority operates in isolation.
WE WANT SPECIALISED LAW-ENFORCEMENT INVOLVEMENT
Where credible evidence supports the allegations, we specifically request the involvement of:
SAPS;
appropriate specialised drug/narcotics investigative capabilities;
appropriate gang and organised-crime investigative capabilities;
crime intelligence where appropriate;
and relevant child-protection and community-safety structures.
A once-off raid is not enough.
If drugs are being supplied to children:
FOLLOW THE SUPPLY.
If gangs are operating:
INVESTIGATE THE NETWORK.
If people outside the gates are intimidating children:
TAKE THE INVESTIGATION BEYOND THE GATES.
If children are afraid to report:
PROTECT THE CHILDREN WHO SPEAK.
School management, educators and an SGB cannot dismantle alleged drug-supply networks or organised criminal activity.
That requires the appropriate authorities.
WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR
We call upon Premier Thami Ntuli, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and the relevant safety and law-enforcement authorities to implement a coordinated intervention that includes:
An urgent whole-school functionality assessment covering management, governance, discipline, learner supervision, safety, infrastructure and resources.
A comprehensive school-safety and risk assessment.
Investigation of suspected drug sales, supply and use, including the sources supplying learners.
Appropriate specialised narcotics/drug, gang, organised-crime and intelligence involvement where evidence or intelligence justifies it.
Investigation of alleged gang activity, intimidation and retaliation, including activity extending beyond the school gates.
Review of historical school, security and available SAPS records concerning drugs, weapons, violence and serious incidents.
A full review of security and access control, including allegations concerning payments to security personnel.
A review of bullying complaints and learner-protection procedures.
A confidential and independent reporting mechanism allowing learners, parents and staff to report drugs, bullying, violence, intimidation and other serious misconduct without unnecessary exposure.
A review of disciplinary procedures and implementation of the Code of Conduct to establish whether discipline is lawful, fair, consistent and effective.
An assessment of the functionality of the SGB and school management structures and identification of any intervention or support required.
An infrastructure, funding and resource assessment, including sporting and recreational facilities.
Appropriate behavioural, anti-bullying and substance-abuse support programmes for learners.
A review of previous SAPS interventions at the school and their outcomes.
Strengthened formal cooperation between the school, SGB, SAPS and appropriate school-safety structures.
A meeting with parents and community representatives, followed by a written corrective action plan identifying responsibilities, deadlines and mechanisms for reporting progress.
OUR CHILDREN GET ONE EDUCATION
We acknowledge that parents and learners themselves have responsibilities.
Our children are not exempt from accountability.
But children also require adults, institutions and systems capable of setting boundaries, enforcing them fairly, protecting them and guiding them.
Umkomaas Secondary School is our community’s only high school.
Its failure would not affect one family.
It would affect a generation of Umkomaas children.
LET UMKOMAAS SECONDARY SCHOOL FUNCTION
We are not asking government to accept every allegation without investigation.
We are asking government to investigate.
Find out what is true.
Correct what is failing.
Strengthen what is working.
Support the educators trying to teach.
Protect children who are being victimised.
Hold learners accountable where misconduct is established.
Investigate those allegedly supplying drugs to children.
Deal with gangs and intimidation where they are found.
Repair what needs repairing.
Strengthen governance where it is weak.
And give frightened parents and children a safe way to speak.
Silence will not protect the reputation of Umkomaas Secondary School. Fixing the problems will.
Premier Ntuli, the Department of Education and the relevant authorities:
Our community is asking you to intervene.
LET OUR EDUCATORS TEACH.
LET OUR CHILDREN LEARN.
LET OUR SCHOOL FUNCTION.
Respectfully submitted by
WARD 99 CONCERNED RESIDENTS AND PARENTS
For a safe, disciplined, accountable and functional Umkomaas Secondary School.
The school is listed by the Department of Basic Education under EMIS 500288119, at M14 Old Main Road, Roseneath
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on 17 August 2026