Johannesburg - Concerns of safety have been raised at Gauteng schools following allegations that two teachers at two schools in the province alleged sexually assaulted female learners.
Learners from Ivory Park schools and angry community members brought Ivory Park to a standstill on Tuesday to protest against allegations that a teacher at Umqhele Secondary School allegedly raped a Grade 10 female pupil.
The pupils and learners from other schools in Ivory Park proceeded to shut down schools in the the area calling for the educator to be removed from the school.
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi made an impassioned plea to law enforcement agencies to up the efforts in hunting for a teacher who allegedly raped the learner.
“I call on the police to use all resources at their disposal to hunt the educator who is on the run after allegedly raping a learner,” the MEC said.
Lesufi added that the department was informed of the incident last week Friday and the department have availed its Psycho-Social Unit to provide psycho-social support to the affected learner and those close to her.
The MEC further confirmed that a case was subsequently opened with the police on May 15 but the suspect was allegedly on the run.
“We will immediately report him to all regulatory bodies and add the charge of absconding as well, and, as a precaution, he will not be reporting at school but at the District Office until further notice,” Lesufi said.
Lesufi called on the young people in and around Ivory Park to put their faith in the justice system and desist from further disrupting schooling as the matter is being investigated.
Meanwhile, a concerned parent, who asked to not be named for security concerns, told The Star last week of allegations levelled against a Grade 7 educator at Pretoria Primary School in Sunnyside. The parent also alleged that the educator harassed more than one learner.
GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona confirmed that the department was aware of the sexual harassment case levelled against the teacher and that investigations into the incident were at an advanced stage.
The matter escalated earlier this month when one of the alleged victims of sexual harassment informed their parents of the matter and the parents subsequently reported the matter to the principal.
Mabona further confirmed that one of the affected parents opened a criminal case against the Grade 7 teacher.
In the letter of complaint sent to the school on May 5 and seen by The Star, the parent of the learner, who cannot be named because of the nature of the matter and to protect her identity, reported the educator on a “series of paedophile behaviours” towards their daughter and some of her classmates.
“It has gotten to a dangerous position now when it has resulted into making sexual contact with my daughter by forcing himself on her during school hours,” the parent wrote in the email. The parent added this was an act of paedophilia.
Mabona said that the department acted with speed in ensuring that the implicated educator is precautionarily transferred so that the teacher does not interfere with the investigations.
He also refuted the claims that the school was allegedly trying to sweep the matter under the carpet.
“We want to refute those allegations, information at our disposal indicates that the school reported the matter to the district office,” Mabona said.
Lesufi said the GDE will never tolerate nor condone any sexy relations or harassment of learners by educators and any of our officials.
“We will never allow educators or officials to abuse the privilege, given to us by millions of parents across the province, of providing care to all young people in our education system. We reiterate our absolute faith in the South African justice system and believe that anyone found on the wrong side of the law will face full consequences,” the GDE said in a statement.
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The Star