Another mass hysteria ....

And hot off the press, this almost identical report from hundreds of miles away.

Priests asked to chase away 'evil spirits'
march 25 2009 at 11:37AM

By Nondumiso Mbuyazi

Classes at Suleman Patel Secondary School, in Inanda, had to be suspended again on Tuesday after pupils became hysterical.

The mass hysteria, which affected more than 20 pupils and a teacher, began last Friday.

School principal, Nonhlanhla Zulu, said the pupils, who seemed to be possessed by evil spirits, were screaming hysterically and behaved aggressively towards anyone who tried to subdue them. She has asked local priests to hold a prayer meeting at the school on Thursday.
'They were screaming, jumping up and down and crying'

Department of Education spokesperson Ntokozo Maphisa said district officials would be deployed to the school to assess the situation, and they would advise the teachers on a way forward. He said: "Writing of exams will continue and we will ensure the pupils don't miss out on any of the work."

On Monday, a teacher and several pupils had to be admitted to hospital after they became violent, injuring themselves and anyone who dared to go near them.

Police spokesperson Captain Jabulani Zwane said when they arrived at the school, the pupils were wild and uncontrollable.

A parent said she suspected that one of the pupils in the school was a devil worshipper, saying she feared the pupil's peculiar behaviour might affect more pupils.

"It starts with just one person and in no time the other students will be doing the same thing," she said.

Zulu said pupils were about to write their first-term exams when they became hysterical.

"They were screaming, jumping up and down and crying. Some pupils were punching themselves in the stomach, complaining of strange movements in their bellies," she said.

Mbali Myeza, 18, a Grade 11 pupil who was also affected by the hysteria, said she was still terrified of going back to the classroom. She said she was about to write her economics paper when she suddenly became weak and dehydrated.

"I felt hot and I couldn't feel my arms and legs. I felt like I was standing alone in a dark tunnel and there was this huge snake which was heading towards me," she recalled.

She said when she finally regained consciousness, she could not remember what had happened. "It was like I had had a long dream, but I couldn't remember what I had dreamed about," she said.

Zulu said this was not the first time the school had been plagued by the bizarre behaviour. "There were two matric boys who had the same problem last year, but after they left we thought everything would be back to normal," she said.

Zulu said after the incident, they called in priests to pray for the pupils. She said she hoped classes would resume tomorrow after a mass prayer meeting.

"We urge all the local pastors to come to our school on Thursday where we will be praying for the pupils, teachers, school and the community," she said.

Earlier this month, 90 Windsor Secondary School pupils in Ladysmith were taken to hospital, after suffering from dizzy spells and fits.
This article was originally published on page 3 of Daily News on March 25, 2009