Cape Town – A principal who was shot in the face at a Philippi early childhood development (ECD) centre in Cape Town is still in a critical condition.
The teacher was shot at close range and the bullet went through her eye, in full view of children aged five and younger when armed men stormed the Rise and Shine ECD centre.
The South African Education Project (SAEP) is calling for urgent intervention from safety structures to ensure staff and children centres are safe.
According to SAEP, two men entered that ECD centre, just as one of the woman living at the facility entered the gate.
The men came in under the pretence of looking for an ECD facility for a of six-month-old baby.
The staff enquired about the whereabouts of the child and the mother, and were told they were outside.
One of the men left and returned with a third man who was armed.
The suspects started robbing the centre, grabbing cellphones and removing the plasma TV from the wall.
It is alleged the principal screamed, asking the suspects to leave, and she got shot.
According to SAEP, the principal remains in a critical condition in hospital in the intensive care unit (ICU).
At the time of the attack, the young children were cramped against the sliding door and crying as they witnessed the horrific incident.
The suspects fled the scene with cellphones and a TV in a black Mazda and a Toyota Avanza.
Police arrived 45 minutes later.
SAEP spokesperson, Shane Everts, said it deployed emergency protocols with social workers on the ground to support the victims.
He said an initial report from social workers confirmed the children were extremely traumatised.
Everts said one parent had informed them their three-year-old son has continuously been speaking about the incident, and what he saw and continues to narrate it.
“We strongly condemn the attacks on ECD centres targeting vulnerable women and children.
“We are seeing a huge increase in these attacks… It’s like its becoming a trend.
“We appeal to Police Minister Bheki Cele and Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, to urgently intervene and secure the safety of our women and children in their schools and early childhood development centres.
“This is the second serious attack resulting in injury and trauma in a series of attacks targeting schools and ECD centres,” Everts said.