Zulu monarch King Goodwill Zwelithini is advocating for the re-introduction of capital punishment in South African schools. He said that the rod would “make learners perform well”.
He made the comments during a meeting with school administrators in northern KwaZulu-Natal, reports the Times Live news agency.
“This thing of not disciplining our children is letting us down because children are not disciplined,” the monarch said.
The law banning corporal punishment in schools was introduced in 1997 but is poorly enforced.
Zwelithini also spoke strongly against the killing of teachers in schools and urged the government to protect them.
“The death of one teacher is one too many. Teachers are also human beings.
“It’s important that if we set up commissions of inquiry because politicians are being killed, there must also be commissions for teachers as well.”
Zwelithini said this and other incidents could have a psychological impact on pupils.
