The Department of Education in Limpopo is investigating to find out if there was any sinister motive when a primary school teacher gave pupils an assignment to describe how a person is killed for ritual murder purposes.

The department spokesperson, Ndo Mangala, confirmed that: “We have sent our officials to Hleketani Primary in Giyani, to find out exactly the content and the motive for the assignment the teacher gave to the pupils.”

As the assignment was part of life skills subject, Mangala says it is not surprising that the teacher has given the children that type of assignment. “However, as the ritual murder cases are sensitive issues, it will depend on the motive for that assignment to determine if it was wrong for the teacher to assign pupils to write it,” says Mangala.

The investigation comes after an outcry from the community and the parents, who feel it is unfair of the teacher to expect them to explain to the kids how a person is killed for ritual murder purposes, since they have never been involved in such activities.