The Department of Basic Education is urging schools to strictly enforce safety protocols after a video showing learners inhaling the contents of a fire extinguisher.  

In the video, doing the rounds on social media, three boys are seen doing so in their school uniforms, while another learner holds the fire extinguisher.  

The incident has sparked condemnation and concern, as the department and health authorities warn of the associated health risks.  

According to the City of Johannesburg’s EMS, inhaling the carbon dioxide or chemical powder found in the device could cause serious health issues like pneumonia and seizures and can be fatal.  

“Fire Extinguishers are safety devices and are not intended for human consumption or inhalation. Parents are urged to educate their children about the dangers of inhaling fire extinguisher contents,” read the City of Joburg EMS statement.  

The Education Department added that associated health risks include “brain damage and respiratory failure”. 

In a statement on the matter, the department urged the provincial departments to intensify awareness campaigns, especially on the dangers of substance abuse and harmful trends.  

It also called on parents and caregivers to be vigilant of children’s behaviours and “actively engage with their children” in this regard. 

“Parents should monitor behavioural changes, unusual objects brought home, or signs that learners may be participating in risky activities. At the same time, the Department urges all schools to immediately reinforce and strictly enforce school safety protocols,” read the statement.  

Schools have been instructed to tighten safety measures, including conducting random inspections, monitoring items brought onto premises, and strengthening education on substance abuse and peer pressure. Authorities say swift intervention by educators is critical in preventing further incidents. 

“The safety and wellbeing of learners remain a top priority. The Department will continue working with schools, parents, and communities to ensure that learning environments remain safe, disciplined, and supportive spaces for all learners.” 

The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian took to X yesterday, 16 March, to state that the Islamic Republic of Iran will not surrender to bullies, as uncertainty deepens over the conflict in the Middle East, and US President Donald Trump’s appeal to nations to help secure the Strait of Hormuz falls on deaf ears.

Pezeshkian, in a telephone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, emphasised that Iran did not begin this war, and that defending against invasion is a natural right.

Macron, also posting on X, said he had appealed to Pezeshkian to put an immediate end to the “unacceptable attacks Iran is carrying out against countries in the region, whether directly or through proxies, including in Lebanon and Iraq.”

But the Iranian leader countered that American bases in the region were being used against Iran, with the purpose of disturbing relations with Iran’s neighbours, insisting that this is what should be stopped.

In my conversation with the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, I emphasized that Iran did not begin this atrocious war. Defending against invasion is a natural right, in which we are good at.
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— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) March 16, 2026

I have just spoken with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian.

I called on him to put an immediate end to the unacceptable attacks Iran is carrying out against countries in the region, whether directly or through proxies, including in Lebanon and Iraq. I reminded him that France…

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 15, 2026

Macron says the “unchecked escalation” is plunging the entire region into chaos, with major consequences today and for the years to come.

“The people of Iran, like those across the region, are paying the price.”

Macron also insisted that “freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz must be restored as soon as possible.”

The Strait of Hormuz, which is a vital route for global oil shipping, has been significantly curtailed since the start of the American invasion of Iran. At least 16 vessels in the region have been struck by drones or other weapons.

And while Iran is allowing some vessels to pass, it has been adamant that the Strait would be closed to Iran’s “enemies.”

US President Donald Trump has openly pleaded with countries to get involved and send navy vessels to help secure the Strait and the flow of sea traffic, but to date, no country has confirmed that it will get involved. 

pic.twitter.com/zknvhwqjnI

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 14, 2026

The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has said, “Europe has no interest in an open-ended war,” noting that the EU’s Red Sea naval force, Operation Aspides, already “plays a key role in safeguarding the freedom of navigation.”

“There was in our discussions a clear wish to strengthen this operation, but for the time being, there was no appetite to change the mandate of the Operation Aspides for now.  This is not Europe’s war, but Europe’s interests are directly at stake.”

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he would not be “drawn into the wider Iran war” whilst reiterating he was working with allies to reopen the Strait.

“We are working with others to come up with a credible plan for the Strait of Hormuz to ensure that we can reopen shipping and passage through the Strait. Let me be clear, that won’t be, and it’s never been envisioned to be a NATO mission.”

Meanwhile, in a briefing on Monday night, Trump claimed that there are some countries that have agreed to help the US reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but he did not mention which countries.

Trump was very critical of allies, especially the UK, for not helping.

@POTUS Trump – “I said, you mean for 40 YEARS we’re protecting YOU and you don’t want to get involved in something that is very minor?.. But they said, ‘we’d rather not get involved!’… We’ll protect them! If ever needed, they WON’T BE THERE FOR US. I knew that for a long period… pic.twitter.com/q2RMX7O71A

— liten drage (@DrageLiten) March 16, 2026

Trump again claimed the war will be “wrapped up soon.” He has previously publicly claimed that the war had already been won. He also again expressed surprise that Iran attacked other countries after the initial US and Israeli strikes.

.@POTUS: “It’ll be wrapped up soon. We’re going to have a much safer world. I had an obligation to do this… you want to see a stock market go down? Start letting them hit you with nukes, okay?” pic.twitter.com/dPFLZeVO4H

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 16, 2026

But the conflict shows no signs of ending anytime soon.

In an interview with CBS, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi says Iran has neither sought a truce nor talks.

“Our Powerful Armed Forces will keep firing until POTUS realises that the illegal war he’s imposing on both Americans and Iranians is wrong and must never be repeated. Victims must also be compensated.”

Araghchi also dismissed media reports that Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steven Witkoff, has been in touch to start negotiations to end the war.

My last contact with Mr. Witkoff was prior to his employer’s decision to kill diplomacy with another illegal military attack on Iran.

Any claim to the contrary appears geared solely to mislead oil traders and the public.

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 16, 2026

“When they say ‘Death to America,’ you should believe them because…if they had a nuclear weapon, they would’ve used it,” says @POTUS.

“Iran is a shell of itself, it’s no longer a bully…it’s the bully that got beat up. We beat the crap out of them—and and they deserve that.” pic.twitter.com/lWRJChv7NE

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 16, 2026

An attack on an EMS vehicle near Macassar over the weekend makes up 90 such incidents in nearly a year.  

Western Cape SAPS confirmed the incident that occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning, 15 March, noting that an ambulance was travelling along the N2 near Macassar to transport a patient to a hospital. Spokesperson, Constable Ndakhe Gwala, said reports suggest that at around 00:30, the ambulance was near a filling station when a rock landed on the vehicle.   

“The rock landed on the bonnet and went through the windscreen of the motor vehicle,” said Gwala, adding that no injuries were reported.  

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The Western Cape Health and Wellness Department confirmed that the patient and staff were safe but noted that they were traumatised by the incident.  

“Our EMS staff are traumatised by the senseless incident and required hospital assessment; they have since been discharged,” read the department’s statement. 

A case of malicious property damage was opened with Macassar police.  

The department said this incident is part of a worrying trend of EMS personnel coming under attack. From April 2025 to date, 90 safety-related incidents have been reported.  

“These include 23 stoning incidents, 23 physical threats, 12 robberies, 9 cases of verbal abuse, 8 cases of thefts, 8 verbal threats and 7 assaults.” 

The department and Health and Wellness MEC Mireille Wenger condemned the incidents, noting that they would work closely with police to investigate the latest attack.  

Wenger said attacks on healthcare workers are unacceptable and place lives at risk. She added that it delays care for patients in need of emergency medical assistance, not only if they are in the vehicle, but also if the ambulance is en route to assist.  

“Our emergency services exist to help people in their most vulnerable moments… Our healthcare workers dedicate their lives to serving communities and saving lives. They must never become targets while doing that work. These attacks undermine emergency care for everyone and cannot be tolerated. We call on communities to stand with us in protecting the people who respond when lives are on the line,” said Wenger.  

The department reiterated the appeal to the public to help keep EMS staff safe. 

“We all have a role to play in keeping them and our patients safe, so they can continue saving lives.”

Chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, also condemned the incident, saying that there must be consequences for those responsible.

“Emergency responders should never have to fear being attacked simply for doing their jobs. Very often when police then follow up and investigate, ‘no one knows’ who stoned them… If we allow attacks on emergency services to become normalised, we undermine the very systems meant to protect and assist our communities.”