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The mother initially followed that advice but has since agreed to open a police report. Multiple parents say the perpetrator remains enrolled at the same school and was present while other learners sat for examinations, a situation they fear could traumatise pupils and affect exam performance.
\u201cA child was offered E50 to change his story, there is an influence of an adult in all this. The question is who?\u201d
Attempts by this reporter to obtain an on-the-record statement from the school\u2019s head teacher in Mbabane were made, but the school did not supply a comment by the deadline.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni said the police have not yet announced any arrests in connection with the incident.
Parents, civil society members and concerned residents expressed anger that a pupil allegedly associated with the violent \u201826\u2019 grouping was able to carry a knife onto school grounds.
According to research, the Numbers Gang, historically divided into groups known as the 26s, 27s and 28s, is a well-documented prison-based criminal organisation in South Africa and its presence or influence beyond prison walls has been the subject of media and research attention in the region.
Experts and community workers warn that variants of prison gangs\u2019 culture and symbols can diffuse into communities and be adopted by youth.
National surveys and specialist reports show that violence against children and youth in Eswatini is a recognised, persistent problem.
The Eswatini Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS), a nationally representative study and government strategy documents, identify high levels of youth exposure to violence and the need for protective measures in schools and communities.
Those findings underpin calls from parents and advocates for more robust protection measures in schools.
Researchers who study youth gangs in Southern Africa say recruitment increasingly targets younger adolescents, often through promises of status, cash, or protection.
Field studies and policy research highlight tactics such as using school networks to identify and groom potential recruits small acts of violence are sometimes used as initiation or to test commitment.
Prevention approaches recommended by academics focus on strengthening school environments, offering positive alternatives, and improving policing and community partnerships.
Meanwhile, professional and academic analyses stress that gang involvement is rarely only about violence, it reflects social, economic and institutional vulnerabilities.
Psychologists working in youth violence prevention note that adolescents who join gangs are often responding to a mix of peer pressure, the need for belonging, and material incentives; early intervention and safe reporting channels in schools are crucial to stop escalation.
Former prisoners and researchers who have studied prison gangs say that the culture of rank, initiation and \u201cproving\u201d oneself through violence is entrenched in some organised criminal groups.
Interviews and studies with ex-gang members underline how young recruits can be coerced into committing violent acts to secure status and protection and how these dynamics can spill back into communities when gang structures extend beyond prison gates.<\/p>\n
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