Facing the possibility of being struck off the teachers’ roll, a KwaZulu-Natal high school teacher, accused of being romantically involved with girl pupils and impregnating several of them, is now facing the wrath of parents who want him to be charged with rape.
The teacher at KwaVusumuzi High, a school outside the rural town of Mandeni on the KZN north coast, is believed to have slept with pupils as young as 14 under the pretence that they were his girlfriends. Most of his victims are apparently pupils at his school. This was reported by angry parents, who want the provincial department of education to intervene.
One of the concerned parents, Zibuyisile Mathonsi, said the principal and the school governing body have been protecting the 53-year-old teacher who has been sleeping with pupils for years.
“This has been going on for several years and the school has been protecting him. My daughter was in Grade 9 when she told me he was making sexual advances at her. She was terrified and wanted to change schools.
“I confronted the school governing body and the principal, and nothing was done,” said Mathonsi.
Another parent, Mzokhona Sibiya, said: “The main issue is when we confronted him, he bravely told us that he doesn’t force them. These young learners are falling pregnant and dropping out of school. We are surprised that the culprit is still on duty and continues to sexually exploit children.”
Sibiya said the teacher often took pupils to his house, claiming he was offering extra lessons and then made sexual advances.
KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga are the leading provinces accounting for reported cases of sexual relations between teachers and pupils.
A study conducted by the teacher body, the South African Council of Educators, noted that the widespread use of social media platforms where teachers interact with pupils outside the classroom environment was a major contributor. It recommended that the Department of Basic Education consider introducing strict policies on electronic communication, which would mitigate the impact.
KwaZulu-Natal department of education spokesperson Sihle Mlotshwa confirmed the matter was being investigated.
“The department has a zero tolerance when it comes to teachers who are romantically involved with learners. At the moment the district is investigating the allegations and once completed it will be processed accordingly,” said Mlotshwa.
In February, a 36-year-old teacher at Dundee High School was arrested and charged with raping a 14-year-old pupil on school premises.
In 2018, the province was rocked by a sex scandal. A teacher at Ekucabangeni Secondary in Nquthu shared a video on social media of him having sex with a pupil. It later emerged that several girl pupils had fallen victim to him after he lured them to his rented cottage to have sex with them.
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