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- An 18-year-old matric pupil managed to escape the clutches of alleged kidnappers.
- The Gauteng education department says the incident is alleged to have taken place near Lyndhurst Primary School in Johannesburg on Friday.
- She reportedly fought off an armed man and screamed for help.
A Grade 12 pupil from Sandringham High School in Johannesburg managed to escape a kidnapping attempt on Friday, says the Gauteng education department.
"The incident is alleged to have taken place on Friday morning, near Lyndhurst Primary School when she was walking to school," according to department spokesperson Steve Mabona.
"According to information at our disposal, a white Chevrolet sedan with four male occupants reportedly drove towards her and an armed male allegedly tried to drag her into the vehicle.
"However, she reportedly fought the armed man off and screamed, which alerted bystanders and scared the suspects into fleeing the scene."
Mabona said a staff member, who happened to be nearby, accompanied the 18-year-old to school.
READ | 'I heard the child screaming' - eyewitness describes kidnapping outside Johannesburg school
"The matter was reported to the Sandringham police station and she received trauma counselling from our Psycho-Social Unit."
The incident on Friday follows a series of kidnappings.
News24 reported two girls were allegedly drugged and forced to steal devices from their homes by unknown men in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, a Grade 5 pupil was also allegedly kidnapped outside EP Bauman School in Mayfair, Johannesburg.
READ | Proof of Life: Inside the Moti family's R50m ransom
On Friday, Mabona said the Grade 5 pupil was still missing.
The department called on the public to come forward with any information that could to assist the ongoing investigations.
"We are devastated to learn of another learner kidnapping ordeal in the province this week, but we are glad that this particular attempt failed.
"Indeed, we must applaud the concerned citizens who managed to intervene and assist our learner," said Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi.
"In a meeting, which we held today with our SGB associations, we agreed that all screening and scanning procedures must be done inside school premises with immediate effect."
