More teachers suspended at sex video school

File picture: Jacques Naude

File picture: Jacques Naude

Published Aug 30, 2016

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Durban - Four more teachers have been suspended from the Zululand school where a teacher was earlier suspended for allegedly having sex with pupils, the Education Department has revealed.

The department has also announced the sacking of 12 teachers at other schools in the province, after they were found guilty of having sexual relations, or sexually assaulted pupils. And it emerged that a principal has been arrested for sexual assault at a Nongoma school.

The eKucabangeni High School in Nquthu has been in the spotlight this month after a video clip emerged of a teacher having sex, allegedly with under-age schoolgirls.

He appeared in the Nquthu Magistrate's Court yesterday. The teacher cannot be named because he has yet to plead.

The National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) provincial spokeswoman, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said the man had been charged with two counts of rape, two counts of sexual grooming and one case of sexual assault.

Department spokesman, Kwazi Mthethwa, on Tuesday confirmed the four teachers had been suspended at the Nquthu school for misconduct, but would not say if this was related to the sex video case.

He said an investigation involving the department, the school governing body and possibly traditional leaders would follow.

Mthethwa could not immediately provide any details on the case of the suspended principal. But police spokesman, Captain Nkosie Gwala, on Mondayconfirmed the arrest of the 47-year-old principal.

"The principal of KwaZidwe High School was arrested in Nongoma for sexually assaulting a learner," she said.

He said the principal was expected to appear in court soon.

In the matter of the Nquthu school, six pupils aged either 14 or 15 years old, had come forward claiming they had been sexually assaulted by the teacher.

Education MEC Mthandeni Dlungwana had set up a task team to investigate the allegations, the department said.

It was not immediately clear if or when the department would lodge further charges with the police in respect of the other alleged victims.

The arrested teacher's attorney, Bruce McGregor, said the teacher had been shocked by what had happened.

McGregor also sought to clear up misconceptions. He said that contrary to some claims, the teacher was not on the run, but had been in Durban.

He said when one of the attorneys from his law firm called the police, he said they were told police had not formed charges against their client yet because they were still investigating.

McGregor said police then asked the teacher to present himself at a police station, which he did at the weekend.

He was then taken to Nquthu early yesterday to appear in court.

McGregor said his client was innocent and the videos showed his client's wife and girlfriends, and not under-age girls, as had been reported in some media.

He said after the trial was "done and dusted" and proved his client's innocence, they would not let the matter rest because they would consider a "nice civil lawsuit" against the department.

On the 12 sacked teachers, Mthethwa said: "All appeals have been recommended for dismissal from the education system. This proves the decisive, tough stance of the MEC against the perpetrators of sexual relationships with learners."

The MEC appeals committee presided over and adjudicated the cases since June.

He said allowing the teachers to remain in their posts would have violated the Employment of Educators Act which stipulates that if a teacher is found guilty of having a sexual relationship with a pupil, he or she must be dismissed regardless of whether the relationship was consensual or not.

Mthethwa called for the teachers to be added to the sex offenders list.

"This kind of violation causes serious and damaging consequences for the victim(s) and in many instances, it greatly affects their ability to learn, study or participate in school activities," he said.

Vee Gani, the South Durban chairman of the KZN Parents Association, expressed dismay at the latest disclosure that teachers had been having sex with pupils.

He said the 12 teachers who had been dismissed were just the tip of the iceberg. He claimed there were "hundreds" of cases not reported. -

Daily News, additional reporting by ANA

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