A memorial service was held at Mossel Bay's Hillcrest Secondary School on Thursday for two learners who were murdered in recent acts of violence.
Tributes were delivered for 17-year-old Michaela Booysen, who died after being assaulted when she and her boyfriend were attacked in Mossel Bay in the early hours of Sunday morning.
A 24-year-old man has been arrested in connection with this and appeared in court on Thursday.
Speakers, that included church leaders and the school principal, Ivan Kronenberg, also paid tribute to 16-year-old, Khusela Ndanda, who died in hospital after being stabbed by three learners on the school premises on Monday.
Three learners from Hillcrest Secondary School made their first court appearance on Wednesday but were remanded in custody, pending a bail application.
School principal Ivan Kronenberg told learners that the world needs to get the true picture of what is happening in communities, referring to the "social decay, collapse of value systems and the lack of discipline amongst the youth".
"One life is one too many and unfortunately at our school, we lost two," he said.
Meanwhile, Reverend Russel Claasen spoke of communities that are living in fear and being paralysed by crime.
He said communities were tired of living in fear, adding that crime, in all its forms, seems to be pervasive, and does not allow people to move on.
"Whatever we want to do, it is always there," he said.
(Pic: Louise Karsten)
