Gelvandale High School forced to close following gang violence

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

A Port Elizabeth High School principal was forced to close his school on Monday when several gangsters entered the school premises, threatened teachers with a firearm before trying to storm the school office.

Gelvandale High School principal Deon O Brien says six to seven suspected gang members entered the school during assembly on Monday morning and when they were told to leave by teachers, one of them threatened the teacher with a firearm and tried to assault him with a plank.

He says the other gang members tried to storm the office but a group of teachers managed to keep them out.

O' Brien says police arrived and a suspect was arrested.

He told Algoa FM News that this was not the first time that gangsters terrorised learners and teachers at Gelvandale High.

"What they usually do is they come in on a Monday morning when teachers are in a meeting, they then attempt to rob the kids from their cellphones and money. Whenever educators come out they jump back over the fence. We have been to the police, but they always tell us they don't have the manpower" he said