Tembisa Matric Student Allegedly Kills Teacher, Sparks Social Media Debate

A matric student from Tembisa is accused of fatally shooting his teacher, identified only as Ngendane Phomolong, reportedly after failing his matric exams. The incident, shared by a social media user known as Sigujana on Twitter, has ignited a heated discussion online.

Reactions on Twitter are polarized. Some users have defended the student, suggesting the teacher’s alleged mistreatment or provocation may have driven him to such an extreme act. They shared personal anecdotes of teachers belittling students, which they claim crushed their academic confidence.

Conversely, others condemned the student’s actions, emphasizing that no amount of provocation justifies murder. They highlighted that teachers, despite their flaws, have families and lives, and such violence is unacceptable.

Social Media Reactions:

Rapuleng Neo:
The comments defending this act are shocking. Many of us had teachers we disliked, but that’s no excuse for murder. Teachers are human with families. We can’t justify killing over personal grievances.

Shady:
Public school teachers often mistreat students harshly. I don’t sympathize when a student retaliates violently—it’s a consequence of how some teachers behave. If it’s an overreaction, it’s just collateral damage.

Brian Khanye:
In matric, our Physical Science teacher mocked us, saying we’d never pass physics “dragged by diesel.” I skipped his class after that, right before mid-year exams. I still resent him.

Lugisani John:
I’m not excusing the student, but some teachers provoke and humiliate students publicly. Public schools can be chaotic, and impatient teachers breed impatient students.

Ademola:
These comments are appalling—people are practically endorsing murder. Matric exams are externally set and marked, so the teacher couldn’t have rigged the results. We were told we’d fail too, but we took it as a challenge, not a reason to kill.