RUNDOWN | 7 take-outs from the damning report into Enock Mpianzi's drowning

The report by Harris Niobe Molebatsi into the death of Enock Mpianzi was released on Wednesday evening to parents before it was released to the media.

Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi and investigator Peter Harris highlighted the report findings and recommendations, including some of the actions already taken. These included:

1. Accurate roll calls were not taken

2. Disciplinary action should be taken against Parktown Boys' High School principal, teachers and the Gauteng department of education district officials

3. The school governing body is found to be at fault for allowing the camp to take place without proper authorisation

4. Nyati Bush and River Lodge should be held liable for being reckless

5. The lodge only had 12 life jackets yet more than 200 pupils attended the camp

6. The Gauteng department of education wants schools not to use Nyati Bush and River Lodge

7. Criminal charges against officials have been laid with the police

Watch the full briefing here:

In relation to what investigators were told by the camp manager Mr Knoetze, he said they had things under control.

He said he didn't know about islands when he was asked of rescuing there.

Teachers said they didn't think pupils needed life jackets.

Mr Knoetze told investigators about a learner who died in 2008 in a swimming pool.

Investigators then found that four other pupils previously died.

In relation to at least one case it was related to an activity. The boy drowned because he couldn't swim.

The camp was reckless in allowing the boys to go into the river without river jackets.

Teachers are found to be negligent for not stopping the activity.

Enock's body was found 1.8km down stream.

"The version given by the camp is a disgraceful false story."

When investigators interviewed Mr Knoetze he said that he stationed 5 camp facilitators at the "red zone" where there are strong currents and rocks.

It's all false, says Harris.

As soon as the boys got into the river they realise that they are in trouble. About two of them got out to safety while the other boys clung to reeds.

The principal came across boys forming a line of safety and he stayed to help and make sure the boys were okay.

"But by then it was too late," says Harris.

Boys were in the river without life jackets and it becomes "messy" in the string currents says Harris.

The fact that teachers left the boys to go in the river in those conditions was irresponsible.

The principal arrived later and saw two boys without rafts and stops the activity.

It was found there to be breach in the schools' duty.

"The fact of the matter is that the educators get to the exercises late," says Harris.

The pupils get in the river and go down the river. The educators stand and watch but as they were there 13 or the 15 groups already left.

By then "the horse has bolted" says Harris.

When calls were made the following day to parents if their boys were at the camp all parents confirmed. It was only at 12:45 on the Thursday that it was found that Enock Mpianzi was missing.

Negligence of the school that they do not have the correct roll call list.

"If the correct roll call list was used they would have discovered 18 hours earlier that," he was missing at 17:30 the previous day, says Harris.

On the same day the prinicpal requests a list from the school. It's the list with the 11 missing pupils and so the assumption that everybody was there.

After meeting with the family, the department met with the school. The report has parts where teachers are mentioned in the report, says Lesufi.

The school management team accepted the report without objections.

The SGB raised various issues;

- They were not taken through the previous report which found some of the teachers guilty (this was clarified)

- SGB pleased that because of the high number of teachers implicated the matter must be handled with care

- SGB also requested that the image or brand of the school must be protected. "We can't choose a brand over the loss of a life," Lesufi said.

- Labour unions representing teachers gave the department the go-ahead to release the report

- Lastly, parents gave permission to release the report.

"Because we live in a democratic state where majority rules. There is a majority rule that the media leave so that we can proceed.

"I want to concur with that view.

"We need to apologise to the members of the media," Lesufi says as he asks the media to leave.