Department probes teacher over sexual abuse allegations

AN EASTERN Cape high school teacher is being investigated by the department of education for allegedly sexually harassing and sleeping with pupils.

The teacher, who cannot be named to protect the pupils and the school he teaches at, apparently lured his alleged targets by holding a study group at his home.

He allegedly slept with one girl and inappropriately touched some girls while tutoring them accounting and economics.

Minningburg residents in Dimbaza claim the teacher had, over the years, been sexually assaulting pupils.

However, the Dutywa-born 34- year-old teacher yesterday denied all the allegations against him, saying he was accused of being in a relationship with a 20-year-old pupil who he had taken in because she was allegedly not being fed at her home.

Community member Vuyani James said over the past two years there had been reports of the teacher having sexual relationships with at least two other girls who were in high school, and it was reported that he had impregnated one of them.

About 20 residents have since drawn up and signed a petition demanding that the teacher be evicted from the house he is renting.

The Daily Dispatch this week spoke to two of the pupils who were part of the study group, the family of the 20-year-old Grade 12 pupil who the teacher allegedly had sexual relations with, and community members.

The uncle of the 20-year-old said they started getting suspicious of the teacher’s relationship with his niece when she started coming home late from the study group and sometimes slept over at his house.

The uncle said the family’s worst fears were confirmed by a chain of inappropriate cellphone messages allegedly sent by the teacher, who was saved as “Honey” on his niece’s cellphone. “We reported the matter to social workers, where she [niece] revealed it all.

“According to her, the teacher would take her in his car and park in a dark area and tell her that he loved her, and begged her to say yes to him or else he wouldn’t start the car.

“She said she finally gave in to the teacher’s advances,” said the uncle.

A 19-year-old Grade 12 pupil said they heard about the study group through a classmate. The shy teenager said she decided to join the group for the extra lessons.

However, after a few weeks, she said the teacher started acting inappropriately, and started touching her in ways that made her feel uncomfortable.

“He once slapped my thighs with his hand and I also saw him touch one of the girl’s breasts. He would also give me tight, uncomfortable hugs.

“I told my aunt about it and I decided to leave the group. This man should not be allowed to teach.”

Acommunity member, Linky Cetywayo, who is a neighbour of the teacher, said when the teacher moved in last December she thought he was a nice person until he started making offensive remarks about the school girls in the community.

“I walked in while he was having sex with one of the pupils. He called them ‘sperm dishes’,” said Cetywayo.

The community members said they would hand over the petition to the ward councillor of their area.

Provincial education spokesman Loyiso Pulumani said the matter had been referred to “experienced investigators” at the department’s rapid incident report unit.

The HOD at the school said they were shocked by the allegations, and said the school would remain on “high alert” until the investigation was concluded. One of the teachers at the school said he had heard of the allegations against the teacher but could not confirm them because they were said to be taking place at the teacher’s house and not the school.

The teacher said he allowed pupils to sleep at his place when they finished studying late because “I feared for their safety because crime is very high in Dimbaza”.

“They [the 20-year-old girl’s family] are doing this because she wanted to come live with me because she was not being fed there. I could not turn a struggling child away because that’s not in my nature.

“I always say the truth will always come out in the end,” he said.

Provincial social development spokesman Mzukisi Solani said social workers were compiling a report, which would be completed today.