A school principal in Engcobo in the Eastern Cape is in hospital after having been shot in front of his colleagues and pupils.

At 11am on Tuesday, Principal Mncedisi Ntentema of Khanyolwethu Secondary School was preparing to begin a scheduled event on violence, substance abuse, and moral regeneration. An unknown man – who nevertheless did not attempt to conceal his appearance – entered the school premises, went to the principal’s office and asked if Ntentema was the principal.

On replying that he was, the intruder drew a firearm and shot him in the upper body. The gunman then left the school grounds,

Ntentema was rushed to hospital for emergency care, and is reportedly in a stable condition.

It is not clear who the gunman was or what his motivation might have been, and the police have appealed for information that might lead to a breakthrough.

South Africa’s schools do not escape the broader trends of societal dysfunction and violence in the country. In January this year at Ntabankulu Primary School – also in the Eastern Cape – an armed man killed three teachers before killing himself. In 2013, a 13-year-old used his father’s firearm at Primrose Primary School in Gauteng and shot and severely injured the principal.

There have also been instances where schoolchildren have been injured by stray gunfire from outside school premises, typically from gangs.

Nevertheless, shootings of this nature are rare, and South Africa has not experienced mass rampage shootings of the sort that have attracted such attention in the United States.

More common are assaults and general non-lethal violence. These are the realities of life for many young people.

The Institute for Security Studies has drawn attention to the scale of bullying in South African schools: it cites a 2023 study indicating that some 3.2 million schoolchildren experience bullying each year, with bullying being far more prevalent in South Africa than in most peer countries. Another study, of Grade 9s in 2013, found that 36% had been victims of bullying, perpetrators, or both. These are contributing factors to the poor educational outcomes in the country.

According to a report by the Department of Basic Education in 2021/22, only 81% of principals and 75% of teachers felt safe at school.