The school principal who was shot by a grade 6 learner in February, returned to the school last week after months of recovery. Principal Noko Selepe (51) relived the moments before the incident that almost claimed his life. 

RE-LIVING THE TRAUMA

In an interview with Newsroom Afrika, the principal walked through the passage where the ordeal happened and said that's where he bumped into the learner. "When I bumped into him, he had just come from my office looking for me, but I was in the bathroom. I walked out of the bathroom, and I saw the boy walking out of my office. He didn't see me, but he was alerted by my footsteps, then he turned back. I then asked him what he was doing here because he knows he was not allowed in the staffroom until he brought his parents," Selepe said. The principal said, to his surprise, the learner didn't respond but instead pulled out a gun. "It was a bit dark because of loadshedding, so I couldn't see if it was a real gun or a toy. Then I asked him again what he was doing in the office, and then he pointed the gun at me and shut one eye, aiming at me. It was only when he cocked it that I realised that it was a real gun. The way he was aiming at me, I could see that whatever I said to him wouldn't change his mind, so I started praying. The first shot missed me because I ducked, and I hit the wall. As I was trying to regain my balance, he pulled the trigger again, and the bullet hit my stomach, and then I fell on the floor, pretending to be dead. Then he walked towards me, wanting to shoot me at close range, and I continued pretending to be dead," he recounted.

HE PRETENDED TO BE DEAD

He said the learner stood over his head and looked at him for while supposedly trying to see if he was really dead. "At that time, I just kept on praying to God to save my life. The boy suddenly turned and walked away. I'm surprised that a child of that age, after shooting twice, should've been afraid, but this one wasn't. I'm also not the only person he wanted to shoot; he also wanted the deputy and the HOD, but his friend stopped him. After he left, I said to myself, I needed to save my colleagues. I screamed for help, and one of the administrators came, and I told her to use the intercom and inform them that I've just been shot by a learner, and they should lock all their doors," he said. The principal said the learner heard the intercom and fled the school. He was seen by transport drivers who also heard the gunshots; at the time he still had the gun in his hands. They gave chase together with the security company, and that's how he was apprehended.

THE BOY CAN BE REHABILITATED

Selepe said that he received extensive counselling from the hospital and reflected a lot and said this is just a 13-year-old boy who did this because of certain circumstances. "All the kids that have behavioural problems, it all starts at home. The child had access to the gun and was trained. It was a rough journey, but I'm here today with the help of the department, including the MEC. However, my wife and kids were traumatised by this," he added. The principal said it was not up to him whether or not the boy served time, but he believes he has a chance to be rehabilitated.