[imagesource: IOL]

A student at a school in KwaZulu-Natal allegedly set a teacher’s car on fire in the school parking lot after his phone had been confiscated.

A video has been doing the rounds on social media, showing the car burning and smoking in the parking lot as a few people try to extinguish the flames.

It is understood that although the fire was eventually put out, the Hyundai i30 was already quite damaged (as illustrated in the image above).

Watch the scene unfold:

The KZN education department says it’s shocked after receiving info that a vehicle of a teacher from Northbury Park Secondary School in PMB was set alight, allegedly by a disgruntled pupil. Full story on @TimesLIVE pic.twitter.com/fPC6GUiUlz

— Naledi (@Naledi_Mailula) September 7, 2022

The story goes, per IOL, that the deputy principal of Northbury Park Secondary School in Pietermaritzburg had reprimanded the Grade 10 student after he was caught with his phone on school property.

It is against school policy to have phones out during school hours.

Kwazi Mthethwa, the spokesperson at the Department of Education in KZN, confirmed that the phone was confiscated and put in a safe place.

This must have enraged the student, who after being sent home, returned later to throw petrol onto the deputy principal’s vehicle and set it on fire:

“We condemn this barbaric act by the learner. We will act decisively on the matter. We have spoken to the district manager who will visit the school tomorrow (Thursday) morning to address the matter. This is unheard of. We are shocked. We are disappointed,” Mthethwa said.

The rest of the student body from grades 8 to 11 were asked to not come into school the next day. The grade 12s, however, were asked to come in and continue their matric trial exams.

Apparently, staff are receiving counselling for the incident.

It might be good practice to give the student a few sessions himself.

[source:iol]