Schoolgirl‚ 12‚ killed as gunmen sprayed her teacher with bullets



A 12-year-old KwaZulu-Natal primary school pupil was killed when she was caught in crossfire after three gunmen stormed inside her classroom and shot dead their teacher. Pandemonium broke out at Luvisi Primary School in Nquthu yesterday morning when the gun wielding assailants blasted their way into the school and shot dead Grade Six teacher Vusi Ntombela‚ 47‚ who was also speaker of the Nquthu municipality‚ while the pupils were writing a test.The traumatised children scurried for cover while the gunmen randomly sprayed their teacher with bullets. Ntombela died from five gun shot wounds.During the crossfire‚ Grade Six learner‚ Elizabeth Nhleko‚ 12‚ was shot in the chest and later died in hospital while her classmate‚ Bongumusa Cele‚12‚ was also seriously injured. She remained in a critical condition yesterday.Three suspects were arrested within an hour after the gruesome attack and a firearm believed to have been used in the killing was recovered. The suspects are expected to appear in court tomorrow.Police yesterday had not established the motive for the killing and investigations were continuing.Nquthu Mayor Emily Molefe expressed shock at Ntombela’s murder saying that they were puzzled by the motive for the killing‚ adding that the speaker didn't have any problem at council.She said the families had been left devastated by the shooting.Ntombela started working as councillor in 2006 and was elected speaker in 2011.KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC‚ Nomusa Dube‚ yesterday condemned the attack‚ saying: “We all feel the terrible pain that has been inflicted on the families and entire community of Nquthu”.“This must indeed be petrifying for any parent who sends their innocent children to school in the hope that they will become better people in the future‚ only to be killed in the environment where they should be acquiring knowledge instead of their lives being put at risk‚” she said.